Saints have signed French midfielder Dany N'Guessan on loan from Championship side Leicester.

The 23-year-old Frenchman has joined until the end of the season and is eligible to play in Saints’ FA Cup fourth round tie against Manchester United at St Mary’s on Saturday.

N’Guessan is primarily a left sided midfielder but has also played both on the right and as a striker in his career.

He spent the first seven years of his professional life at Auxerre in France and Rangers in Scotland but failed to make a first team appearance for either.

After a loan spell at Boston United he joined Lincoln City in 2007 and went on to make 91 appearances for the Imps, scoring 16 goals.

He rejected a new contract with Lincoln in favour of a switch to Leicester in 2009 but after a bright start has found himself on the fringes of the squad.

That led to a loan spell with Saints boss Nigel Adkins’ former club Scunthorpe at the end of last year but he only made three appearances in his month with the Iron, though he did bag a goal.

The move makes perfect sense for Saints who are desperate for wide players with Adam Lallana and Lee Holmes both sidelined while speculation continues over whether Jason Puncheon and Alex Chamberlain will still be at St Mary’s come the end of the transfer window.