Southampton winger Mohamed Elyounoussi has turned down the chance to join Middlesbrough on loan, Norwegian journalist Arilas Ould-Saada has reported.

It was claimed earlier this week by other elements of the Norwegian press that Elyounoussi was attracting interest from a number of clubs, with Boro's Championship rivals Stoke City among those thought to have been considering a move for the 25-year-old.

While it is not yet clear if the Potters will attempt to sign Elyounoussi, this latest update does seem to rule out any chance of the Norwegian moving to the Riverside Stadium this season, with the report suggesting that it was the player himself who turned down the chance to join Jonathan Woodgate's side.

Elyounoussi only joined Southampton from Basel last summer, but the Norwegian international has struggled to make an impact at St Mary's, with the winger featuring just 19 times in all competitions for the Premier League side, without scoring or providing an assist.

There are still four years remaining on Elyounoussi's current contract with Southampton, tying him to the club until the summer of 2023.

The Verdict

This will be slightly disappointing for Middlesbrough.

The addition of a player such as Elyounoussi could have been useful in order to add to their attacking options for the rest of the season - an area that was an issue across the course of the previous campaign.

However, the fact that the winger has struggled to really make any sort of an impact during his time at Southampton, does suggest that this may not be quite as big a miss as it may have been had it been someone else 'Boro were interested in.

It is interesting that it appears to have been the player rather than his current club who turned down the move, and you wonder if that could have an impact on any potential bid Stoke may make for the 25-year-old before the close of the window.