Here are 2 AFCON stars for Southampton to watch out for

Medhi Benatia

29-year-old centre-back Medhi Benatia will be one of the most experienced players at next month’s African Cup of Nations, having made 42 appearances for Morocco since his debut in 2008.

The defender is currently on loan at Juventus from German giants Bayern Munich, having signed at the Allianz Arena in 2014, although has since struggled to nail down a regular first team place.

However, Benatia hasn’t featured too readily for the Serie A side either, making just eight starts for the Old Lady this season, his last one coming against Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League last week.

Juve have the option to make the deal permanent at the end of the season, but given his lack of first team football there, it’s not a done deal that he’ll move to Turin come June.

And, with the futures of Jose Fonte and Virgil van Dijk up in the air, Puel may need another centre-back to bolster his backline, so he should keep an eye on Benatia’s efforts for Morocco next month.