Historically, Southampton have been a remarkably well-run club.

They have unearthed some of the world’s standout managers who have overperformed with their respective squads, while also finding and nurturing some of the best talents in the world.

The likes of Mauricio Pochettino, Ronald Koeman, Virgil van Dijk and Sadio Mane are some of their recent standout successes over the past decade, and they looked set to breed another when they spent a club-record £16m to sign Sofiane Boufal from Lille in 2016.

Joining from the Ligue 1 club which had previously given the world Eden Hazard, this “magic” Moroccan – as dubbed by BBC's John Bennett - was coming off the back of 12 goals and four assists in his last season in France and looked well-placed to emulate the Belgian's success in England.

However, it seemed like the 29-year-old never really got going on the south coast, as apart from scoring one of the best solo goals in Premier League history, he only recorded ten goal contributions across 84 appearances for Southampton.

That mazy run against West Bromwich Albion in 2017, followed by a cultured finish, was a mere highlight of what could have been at St Mary’s. As such, he was allowed to leave on a free transfer in 2020, marking a huge financial loss on the Moroccan.

It was thought that the man who Carl Anka dubbed a “trickster” would see out his career by showing flashes of brilliance in Ligue 1 without truly realising his potential, but few could have predicted how Morocco would perform in the 2022 World Cup.

Thrown into a group consisting of Croatia, Belgium and Canada, they finished top and defeated Portugal and Spain on their way to becoming the first African side to reach the semi-finals of the competition.

However, boasting a solid defensive core and the expressive exploits of Hakim Ziyech and Boufal himself, they had all the makings of a team prepared to upset the odds.

The former Southampton man starred from the left flank and maintained a 6.83 Sofascore rating for his performance in Qatar.

Despite not scoring or setting up a goal, his efficient ability on the ball was essential for driving his team forward when they would struggle for possession.

He averaged a 58% dribble success rate alongside 0.6 key passes per game, while also managed to outline his defensive credentials with 1.6 tackles per match (via Sofascore).

It might leave Southampton fans wondering whether the club should have trusted in him to eventually come good, especially considering how their current crop of wingers boasts a combined tally of just two goal contributions and he has six already this season.

It is fair to say that, after Boufal's display at the 2022 World Cup, the Saints suffered a rare howler on letting him leave for free two years ago.