Southampton broke their transfer record to bring £16million Sofiane Boufal to St Mary’s and the Moroccan has revealed that it was their long-time pursuit that attracted him to the club.

Boufal scored 11 times for Lille in Ligue 1, helping them to fifth place and a spot in the Europa League.

The 22-year-old joins new manager Claude Puel in crossing the channel to join Saints and Boufal says that everyone at the club had been desperate for him to join.

                                                                            (Photo by Jean Catuffe/Getty Images)

Everyone loves to be in demand and Boufal says that alone was enough to bring him to the south coast.

“I think for me it’s the best club, because I see the director, the coach and the fans and they are all excited to work with me,” he said.

“I have contract with other clubs, but when I listen and I see Southampton – they wanted me.

“I spoke with the coach and the whole club, and for me it’s the club that wanted me not just yesterday, but for four or five months.

“I can see the motivation of the directors and the club to sign me. For me that’s very important.”

Pep Guardiola’s arrival at Manchester City was always going to lead to changes, but few would have predicted Aleksandar Kolarov’s move to the centre of defence.

Guardiola has form for ignoring player positions, most notably turning Javier Mascherano into a defender, and shifting Philip Lahm from full-back to centre midfield.

But even so, the idea of moving 30-year-old Serb Kolarov from left-back into the heart of the defence seemed fanciful.

That has changed, with Kolarov’s display against Sunderland on the opening day described as one of the best performances Guardiola had ever seen, and he again impressed off the bench against West Ham as Manchester City made it three Premier League wins from three to go top of the table.

(Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)

And while most would baulk at a change of position once they’ve reached their 30s, Kolarov is relishing the opportunity.

He said: “I’m enjoying playing central defender because we always have the ball and I have more contact with the ball so I’m very happy in that position.

“It’s not easy but I have more time to prepare to jump.

“Pep asks from the central defenders that we go a lot in the middle to try to break the lines so I’m doing what’s asked of me.

“It’s a different style of football to what we had in previous seasons so not just me, but the whole team, the fans and the people in the club are enjoying the moment with Pep.”

When your uncle also happens to be chairman of your football club, it’s fair to say shaking off any suggestion of nepotism must be difficult.

But Middlesbrough’s Ben Gibson is looking every inch a Premier League defender in his first season in the top flight, and insists his side will continue to defy the odds this term.

The 23-year-old played alongside first-choice defensive partner Dani Ayala, for the first time this season, in Saturday’s tepid 0-0 draw at West Brom, and also skippered the side with Grant Leadbitter and George Friend both absent.

And after notching up two draws and one win so far this term – including a first clean sheet of the season over the weekend – Gibson is adamant Boro are only looking up the table.

“We would have snapped your hand off at the start of the season to be in this position,” he said. “But it’s important now, we’ve had three games unbeaten, to keep the momentum going.

“There’s an adaptation period that needs to happen, and I think we’ve handled that really well. It’s a big change from the Championship.

“In that league, we were used to winning games. For two years we had a winning mentality and we want to carry that into this season as well.”

The England under-21 international is also nephew of current Boro chairman Steve Gibson, and manager Aitor Karanka admits at times he has had to work harder to prove himself as a result.

“When he was going away with the England Under-21s, I was in touch with Gareth (Southgate) and he told me he was an important player for him.

“Character is something that you have or you don’t have, it’s something you can’t buy.

“Sometimes it’s harder for Ben because everybody links him with his uncle and sometimes he has to show more than the other players.

“So he has a good character; because he is the chairman’s nephew he has to work hard to show everybody that he is a good player.”

With 11 years of Premier League experience, West Brom goalkeeper Ben Foster has certainly been around the block a few times.

But the Baggies stopper admitted he had been blown away by debutant Sam Field’s first appearance for the club this weekend.

Playing in the middle of the park during a dour 0-0 draw against Middlesbrough, local boy and lifelong West Brom fan Field gave the home fans something to cheer about.

The 18-year-old completed a stunning 92% of his 37 passes before being replaced in the 76th minute by Craig Gardner to a standing ovation.

And Albion’s Foster is adamant that in the England under-18 international, his side have discovered a diamond in the rough.

“Sam was brilliant against Middlesbrough,” he said. “He is an absolutely fantastic young lad.

“He has an experienced head on such young shoulders and to be starting a game in the Premier League at 18 is a great achievement for him.

“He gets hold of the ball and he is very elegant and classy in the way that he plays the game.

“He works hard every day in training and is a really top lad with hopefully a very bright future ahead of him.”

Chelsea’s improvement from last year’s dismal Premier League campaign is already clear to see, but defender Gary Cahill insists the gains they have made under Antonio Conte cannot be picked up by the naked eye.

The Blues made it four wins from as many competitive matches under the Italian in Saturday’s 3-0 home win over Burnley, where Cahill also made his 200^th appearance for the club.

And the scoreline could have been far greater for the Londoners, as Chelsea notched up the most attempts on target and the most completed passes of anyone in the Premier League over the weekend.

But for Cahill, the biggest improvement under former Italy manager Conte has been more than skin-deep, with few new faces joining the club and emphasis placed on conditioning and structure instead.

“We’ve added one or two quality players which is great but predominantly it’s the same players from last year, and when we won the league the season before,” he said.

“The main thing for me is how fit and sharp we look, and the organisation in terms of where players need to be.

“I felt like last year we were all over the place at times. We’ve got discipline, we’re organised and we look fit. I’m in the best condition I’ve been for a long time.

“The manager is adamant about the way he wants to play and that’s what everyone has to buy into. If everybody pulls in the right direction, nine out of ten times you’ll succeed.

“The fitness and nutrition, things that people probably don’t see, is vitally important, especially in this league.”

Hull City’s perfect start to the season came unstuck against Manchester United on Saturday, and defender Curtis Davies is hoping the international break will allow for reinforcements to be brought in before the transfer window closes.

Caretaker manager Mike Phelan has made just one addition to the Tigers’ squad this summer, 18-year-old goalkeeper Will Mannion, from AFC Wimbledon, but is in the market for more – with Cardiff keeper David Marshall set to be the first on the list.

The Tigers will need to act fast if they want to add to their threadbare squad before Wednesday’s deadline, though, and Davies welcomed the timing of the international break, coming after a frantic opening to the season.

“We probably need that break right now and hopefully a few more bodies come into the club during it,” said the former Birmingham City man.

“We worked hard out of possession against United, we were disciplined and we dug in to get into position when we didn’t have the ball. We limited them mainly to long shots.

“Unfortunately, the one time they did get in they managed to score.”

Photo by Ben Hoskins/Getty Images

Davies helped his side to a shock opening-day victory over Leicester City before they backed that up with a 2-0 win away at Swansea City.

But the reality of life back in the Premier League bit on Saturday as Marcus Rashford’s 92nd-minute winner handed United their third win of the season.

“It’s sickening when you lose to any side in the 90th or 94th minute – it’s tough to take,” added Davies.

“But we’ve got to take a lot of heart from our performance in terms of the desire that we showed, the heart that we showed and every man working for one another.

“We have to take all of that into the games coming up after the international break.”

Swansea City are only three games into the season, but Dutchman Leroy Fer has already called on his teammates to band together and stop conceding from set pieces.

Wes Morgan’s second for Leicester City on Saturday came from a corner, and Fer – who joined on a permanent deal over the summer having made 11 appearances for the Swans on loan last season – said they must tighten up at the back.

Francesco Guidolin’s side lie in 14th place after winning one of their opening three fixtures, and Fer is the only man to score in the Premier League for them so far.

“We can’t concede goals like we are. We have conceded from a corner again and that’s frustrating,” said the former QPR man.

“We were saying it all through last season but it keeps on happening and we have to get better because if you concede those goals, it can make a massive difference in games.”

Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images

Swansea welcome Antonio Conte’s Chelsea to the Liberty Stadium after the international break, and Fer is hopeful that they can carry on the momentum of a strong final 30 minutes at the King Power into that game.

“Lukasz [Fabianski] made a great save to keep us in the game and after that we kept believing we could get back into it. In the end, we were a bit unlucky not to get something,” he added.

“We have to take that into the next game against Chelsea in two weeks’ time.”

Ander Herrera raised some eyebrows when he described Manchester United teammate Antonio Valencia as the best right back in the world last week, but the Ecuadorian has poured cold water on those claims.

The 31-year-old has been a fixture in Jose Mourinho’s back four this season and helped United to successive Premier League clean sheets.

Having been converted from a winger though, Valencia is more focussed on team success than personal praise.

“I’m not interested in personal glory like that, not at all! Of course it’s really nice of Ander to have said that, but what I’m all about is just working hard,” said the former Wigan Athletic man.

“I’m grateful for Ander’s kind words but what I try and do is to simply work hard every day in training.

“I want to put a shift in for United, the team that I love. I always want to give everything for this team.”

Ander Herrera – Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images

United, under Mourinho’s guidance, have a 100 per cent Premier League record after three games and sit third in the table, just one goal behind top-of-the-table Manchester City.

And Valencia has credited the new boss with instilling a new belief in the side.

“I think he’s given a really positive boost of confidence to the side and that can be seen out there on the field,” he added.

“Everyone is feeling confident, everyone wants the ball and that’s a very good sign. Everyone is running hard, showing good movement and reading our moves and build-up play, and that’s important too.”

Jamie Vardy showed last season that it’s possible to go from non-league to England and Michail Antonio is thrilled to have written the next chapter in his own fairytale story.

The West Ham winger started his career at Tooting & Mitcham United and only got his first taste of the Premier League last season after joining the Hammers from Nottingham Forest.

But a fine start to the new campaign, with two goals in three games – including the first goal at the Olympic Stadium – has seen him catch the eye of Allardyce.

(Chris Brunskill/Getty Images)

And having turned down the chance to play for Jamaica earlier this year, Antonio was delighted to have been given his chance with England.

“I’m overwhelmed,” he said.

“I got slightly emotional when I found out. It’s just one of those things that I’ve always dreamt of playing for England as a kid, so now for it to happen after I’ve worked my way from non-league to where I am now, I am just so happy.

“I don’t even know what to say – words can’t explain how happy I am!

“I just give my all every time I go on the field, so for me to called-up by England, I don’t know what to say! All I can do is go out there on the international stage and show there is a reason why the gaffer has called me up.

“I didn’t think that it would happen this quick, but I always said to myself that if I could get into the Premier League and keep playing the way I do, hopefully I could get into the England squad.

“I just want to keep my feet on the floor. In my first season in the Premier League, even though I had good stats, the England manager would have had to take a risk on me.

“It looks like the gaffer now believes that I’ve done enough to be in there, so hopefully I can prove him right.”