Southampton Football Club has announced it is delighted that Moussa Djenepo has signed a three-year contract extension at St Mary’s, there will be some who will not be pleased to hear this, but he has earned his place in the squad this season.

The 24-year-old joined Saints in 2019 from Standard Liège in Belgium, and his new deal will take him to 2025, it is fair to say that it has not been a smooth ride for Djenepo, after a great start he struggled to keep his good form going, just before Covid he was sent off and this would mean when football returned he was banned and therefore found himself out of a side that was winning games.

It is fair to say that 2020/21 wasn't his best season and last season he started only 5 games with 7 appearances off the bench.

But this season even though he was asked to play as a wing back and even as a more traditional left back he has showed that he can be disciplined and although some of his detractors gave him little credit, most saw that he was now a squad man and one that can make a contribution.

He might struggle again now to get in the starting line up with the arrival of Juan Larios and in the New Year the return of Tino Livramento, he might be reduced to that of impact player, but he will be a good squad member and certainly it shows how the squad is developing in that we now have players of his calibre rather than untried youngsters on the bench.

Moussa has made 74 appearances for Saints to date across all competitions, scoring four goals, including a Premier League Goal of the Month winner in September 2019 for a sublime solo effort against Sheffield United.

Hel has featured in a number of positions for the club, including full-back, wing-back and No 10 on both flanks.

Djenepo has 29 caps for his countryand featured in both legs of Mali’s World Cup qualification play-off against Tunisia in the summer.

Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhüttl said:

“Moussa is a very popular player in the dressing room and we are very happy he has decided to stay with us.

“He is a fantastic character who works hard to improve his game and always puts the team first, as we have seen with the number of different positions he has played for the club over many years.”

Moussa Djenepo said: “I’m happy. I’m happy because it is proof of the club’s trust in me, so I say thank you for everything.

“It’s the team I want to grow up with and learn more, and I will give my best to do everything for the club.”

Photo: Action Images

landsdownsaint added 08:25 - Sep 15 Good player & a good guy by all accounts , with all these young lads coming in , it’s good thing you have characters like Moussa
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underweststand added 08:31 - Sep 15 Not the most obvious (or most popular) decision for some, but Moussa's development has shown up this season and although he's not always a starting name he has shown his ability to be versatile. His enthusiasm is obvious and even though his playing style doesn't come from any normal coaching manual, he does entertain and create a sort of fear in defenders when he attacks up on the left. He's been around for a couple of years and with a dressing room full of young talents waiting to show up, he's been in that position himself and is surprisingly on the verge of becoming one of the senior players in the squad (!). I'm sure there will be some negative responses on this topic, but all things considered I think we've made a lot worse decisions in the past, and in time he may well become a more popular figure in the club.

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felly1 added 10:03 - Sep 15 Pleased for Moussa. I like it that he plays with a unconventional style and enthusiasm and the way he retrieves the ball from seemingly lost causes. We can all see that he lacks an end product and is a frustrating player but he also brings excitement and unpredictability and lifts the crowd.
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NewburySaint added 10:14 - Sep 15 Another great bit of “business” from SFC this calendar year - Moussa deserves that.
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highfield49 added 10:27 - Sep 15 Moussa has been a bit of a revelation in terms of his ability to adapt and compete this year. As an attacking winger he can be very frustrating, his finishing ability needs obvious improvement, but his fitness and versatility are a huge asset. Whilst he hasn't scored goals when he should he has balanced that by making some excellent tackles and interceptions in defensive positions. In the summer I would have said "move him on" and I'm now firmly in the "more than useful" squad player camp. The fact that he enjoys being at the club as well makes the contract extension even better business.

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Flamingbankers added 11:31 - Sep 15 Yes tricky one this because Moussa's been good this year: filling in, great attitude and defending pretty well. I've always supported him and said so in the past. However, I feel Saints must have money to burn because, to me, his positions are covered on the left hand side - and frankly I wouldn't want him to play anywhere else on the pitch. With the excellent youngsters moving to the club, to me, it seems his position is superfluous. Perraud, Larios and KWP (and Small whose being kept in a cupboard spmewhere) can cover these positions. Not to mention Elyanoussi and the soon to be first teamer, Samuel Edozie, higher up the pitch. We could even bring in a better player on loan. It just seems like another panic signing and poor misjudgement. But of course I hope I'm proved wrong and good luck to Moussa although he doesn't seem to need it.

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saintmark1976 added 12:07 - Sep 15 Who knows, perhaps the new coaching team can put back into him what Ralph successfully coached out of him. Then perhaps he will score a few more goals like those he scored against Sheffield Utd and Brighton when he first arrived.
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TeamCortese added 12:45 - Sep 15 I think this is excellent news! Moussa has been a revelation this season. I don't agree with the sentiment that he can't add more value further up field. I do, however, agree he's surplus to requirements for LB. For me, Moussa is currently better than Moi and Edozie. Fundamentally the goals against Spurs as well as the comeback against Leeds both involved Moussa being at the heart of/lead up to the goals despite him being played out of position. Even as LB he still looked solid defensively. Edozie most probably has a higher ceiling but is still very young and raw. This season should be all about getting EPL mins and development. Any thing else should be seen as a bonus! Djenepo is at a different stage of his career. Due to personal reasons, his form and development definitely staggered after that positive debut of form. Nonetheless, he's proven useful as a utility player but needs to start adding value and ultimately move the needle for the team further up the league. As we bought him as an attacker I'd like to see him provide more goals and assists. He definitely has the ability but needs to work on his composure, decision making in the final third, and, most importantly, finishing/shooting. I'm confident he can do so with right attitude coupled with the aide from Ruben Selles and co. Hopefully Ralph sees him and Edozie as longer-term replacements for Theo and Redmond.

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SaintPaulVW added 14:17 - Sep 15 MD has got stuck in this year. While clearly not a natural as a wingback, put a shift in every game. Still the sort of player where anything can happen which makes him v exciting to watch. Good business.
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