Last week Southampton announced they had signed Sékou Mara from Girondins de Bordeaux subject to a medical and International clearance etc, now they have confirmed that the paperwork is all completed and the player has now signed to the club.
Saints completed their sixth signing of the summer and in doing so have taken their spending so far during this summer to near the £50 million mark with the arrival of striker Sékou Mara.
This is the first striker to sign during the 2022 summer transfer window and Ralph Hasenhuttl has hinted that by the time the window has closed he will have hoped to have signed another one.
There are many comparisons to be drawn with Armando Broja, Mara is 19 as Broja was when he arrived at St Mary's and like Broja he will turn 20 shortly after arriving.
Like Broja he has a full season under his belt in a European league and he has scored goals in it, if there is one thing that is different is that whereas Broja scored all his goals for Saints with his right foot last season, Mara seems to be more two footed and also scored with his head, so perhaps offers a more aerial threat.
But he is still young so Saints fans will question whether he will have enough experience, however with Che Adams now established as a Premier League player and perhaps Adam Armstrong offering a different type of option than either Adams or Mara, we have the foundations of a strike force.
There could well be another striker arriving, we wait with baited breath.
The club had this to say:
Southampton Football Club is delighted to confirm the signing of Sékou Mara from Girondins de Bordeaux on a four-year deal, subject to international clearance.
The club announced an agreement in principle with the French side last week, and the player’s medical and relevant paperwork have since been completed.
Born in Paris, Mara was previously on the books of Paris Saint-Germain and Boulogne-Billancourt before joining Bordeaux in 2017.
Quickly accelerating through the ranks, he impressed for the B team as a 17-year-old before making his first-team debut in February 2021 and scoring his first goal three months later.
The talented 19-year-old forward attracted interest from a number of clubs after scoring six goals in Ligue 1 last season.
Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhüttl said:
"Sékou is coming here to score goals and has shown in the French league he can do this, now he needs to work hard and show he can do this in the Premier League.
"He is a young guy who will need time to adapt to a new country and a new league, but we are excited about his potential and what he can become in the future.”
The France Under-21 international becomes Saints’ sixth summer signing following the arrivals of goalkeepers Gavin Bazunu and Mateusz Lis, defender Armel Bella-Kotchap, and midfielders Roméo Lavia and Joe Aribo.
Sékou Mara said: "I’m really happy to sign for Southampton and to be a Saint for the next years. Southampton have given me a good opportunity to progress.
"I’m a young player and I have to work. I think Southampton is the best club for me to develop myself and progress to be one of the best. I’m impatient to begin with this team and score goals.”