SAINTS have completed the signing of Spain international forward Juanmi, from Malaga, on a four-year-deal.

The 22-year-old moves to St Mary’s from the La Liga club for a fee of about £5m, becoming Ronald Koeman’s first capture of the summer.

Juanmi, whose full name is Juan Miguel Jiménez López, said: “It’s a pleasure to be here and I am looking forward to being a part of this club.

“I am anxious and I want to start as soon as possible. This is a big club and it has shown a lot of trust in me. The training ground is magnificent and likewise the stadium. It really, really is a big club.

“Since I was very young, it’s always been a dream for me to play in the Premier League. The style of football played here is similar to the way I play, so it’s a dream come true.

“Now I just want to start playing and to start scoring goals.”

Executive director Les Reed, who conducted the deal, said: “Juanmi is a young, exciting and attacking player who fits into the club’s strategic plan perfectly.

“He has been tracked closely by our recruitment department for some time, and we were keen to act quickly when presented with the opportunity to bring this young player with international quality to Southampton.

“To have attracted a player of his potential at this early stage of the summer is testament to our determination to build upon the achievements of the 2014/15 season and to continue to implement our long-term plan for the future.

“We will fully embrace the challenge of the Europa League in the coming campaign, and want to develop further in Europe over the seasons to follow. Juanmi’s arrival is an important step in this process.”

Daily Echo:

Saints' new signing Juanmi, in action for Malaga

Juanmi’s arrival represents a coup for Saints, as they had to fend off significant interest in him from other clubs.

Premier League sides Newcastle, Aston Villa, West Ham and Liverpool were all known to be tracking him, along with Real Sociedad.

Juanmi brings with him a burgeoning reputation from Spain.

He became Malaga’s youngest ever goalscorer when he netted aged just 16, in a Copa del Rey match in 2010, and went on to graduate permanently from the Malaga B side to the first team.

Daily Echo:

Juanmi (right) in action for Malaga, against Real Madrid

At the same time, he won back-to-back Under-19 European Championship trophies with Spain.

In 2013, Junami was loaned out to Spanish second-tier side Racing Santander, but he didn’t enjoy a productive spell, failing to score as the team were relegated.

However, things improved drastically upon his return to Malaga.

He scored eight times for the club last season, including the winner in a 1-0 triumph against Barcelona, in the Nou Camp, in February.

His form was earned him a call-up to the Spain squad in March, replacing the injured Diego Costa, with coach Vicente del Bosque handing him a first cap when he started him in a 2-0 friendly defeat against the Netherlands.

Juanmi ends his Malaga career with 21 goals in 95 first-team appearances.