Southampton boss Claude Puel has urged fans to be patient with Sofiane Boufal.

Boufal has so far been a slow burn since his summer arrival from Lille.

"I've spoken a lot with Sofiane," he said. "He's a particular player, for me like [Paris Saint Germain player] Hatem Ben Arfa. He's like for me a talented player, like Messi or Eden Hazard.

"They can make the difference with good penetration with an ability to dribble and make the difference.

"He's a fantastic player and after they have to find a good balance between the dribble and to play simple.

"That is hard to find that balance and it's important to keep his penetration and encourage him. For this he needs confidence and after he will find a good balance between playing simple and to keep the ball.

"He has this talent to dribble in short spaces and to find a good assist and a good shot. It's fantastic for the team.

"But at the moment his information is in the academy [stages]."