Southampton winger Mohamed Elyounoussi is probably ‘a technically better player’ than teammates Nathan Redmond and Moussa Djenepo, according to The Sun journalist Tom Barclay.

The trio of attackers have been competing for a starting berth out wide this season on the south coast, with Elyounoussi perhaps surprisingly enjoying the most productive campaign.

What is the latest news involving Elyounoussi?

Back in June 2018, Southampton splashed out £16 million to sign the 27-year-old after he had registered 23 goals and 30 assists in 84 appearances for Swiss giants FC Basel, winning a domestic double along the way.

However, Elyounoussi struggled to settle into life in the Premier League and started just eight top-flight fixtures in his maiden campaign, failing to provide a single goal contribution across his 19 outings in all competitions.

The 41-cap Norway international then embarked on a two-year loan spell with Celtic, finding the back of the net on 24 occasions and setting up a further 14 strikes in 67 games for the Hoops.

And Elyounoussi’s impressive form north of the border was enough to convince Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl to bring him back into the fold at St. Mary’s.

Hasenhuttl has been rewarded for his show of faith in the Scandinavian attacker, with his four goals making him the Saints’ fourth-highest scorer in the top flight this term.

What has Barclay said about Elyounoussi?

While Redmond has enjoyed a relatively successful campaign, racking up eight goal contributions this term, he was left out of the squad to face Leeds for tactical reasons, and Djenepo has struggled to make an impact, failing to score a goal or set one up in 15 outings.

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And Barclay believes Elyounoussi has the advantage over both forwards when it comes down to their technical skill.

He told GiveMeSport: “He is a technically better player probably than Redmond and Djenepo. I mean, those players have got their own strengths as well, I’d say they're quicker, which makes a difference, but Elyounoussi is a bit more of a canny player.”

Will Elyounoussi remain at Southampton?

Elyounoussi has entered the final 15 months of his current contract with Southampton and during the recent international break, he revealed that although talks over a new deal have not yet taken place, he wants to remain at the club.

“We have not sat down to talk about it yet,” he said (as relayed by TV2). “I thrive there and have expressed that I would like to stay there longer.”

Meanwhile, Hasenhuttl has been full of praise for Elyounoussi since his return to the Saints, labelling him an ‘intelligent, smart footballer, who can score goals.’

Fresh terms could be on the horizon for Elyounoussi then, but it remains to be seen whether he gets the opportunity to commit his future to Southampton or not.