SOFIANE Boufal has admitted he may look for a way out of Saints this summer after a difficult time at St Mary's. 

The Moroccan international has never really reached the heights the club dreamed of when they signed the attacking for a then club-record £16m in 2016 from Lille. 

There have been glimmers of his ability, having scored wonder goals against Middlesbrough, Sunderland and West Brom in his two campaigns at the club. 

But he has failed to deliver consistently and ended this season banished to train with the under-23s after an alleged bust-up with boss Mark Hughes. 

Boufal may now look to return to Ligue 1, where he had great success with Lille.

“It's true that today a return to France interests me a great deal,” Boufal is reported to have told French media outlet, SFR Sport.

“A good club in France that plays in Europe, of course, I would be very very interested in returning.

“It's a league I know, a language I know... so it's true, a return to France.

“L'Olympique de Marseille remain a very big club. This year they've made it to the final of the Europa League... of course, L'OM interests me, if they are interested, why not sign for them?”

Certainly, if Hughes is made permanent manager at St Mary's, Boufal may find opportunities hard to come by.