Southampton winger Mohamed Elyounoussi admits his time in the Premier League has been a struggle but believes he can prove his quality in the future.

The south-coast outfit signed Elyounoussi from Swiss outfit Basel last summer for a reported £16million as they looked to replace Dusan Tadic. But the Norway international’s maiden Premier League campaign has been disrupted by injuries and he has made just 15 league appearances, starting only seven times.

His last outing came in the 2-0 loss to Arsenal last month and he has only once managed to taste victory in a Southampton shirt.

Elyounoussi’s future at St Mary’s has been widely speculated on over the last few months but the winger insists he wants to stay put.

The 24-year-old feels he has a lot to offer and hopes to play a part in their relegation battle over the coming weeks.

Elyounoussi said: “I choose to look at this as a challenge. At some point, I had to get a drop. I’ve never been injured earlier in my career, in Southampton I have experienced several injuries.

“But I have to try to find positive things every day, thinking that I can grow on the adversity, and fight my way back into the team. I’m quite honest when I say it’s like that.

“They see that I have skills and am an important player for the club. But I need more time to develop and take the physical level required in the Premier League.”

Southampton, who are priced at 15.00 to be relegated, currently sit 16th, just two points clear of the bottom three, with eight games left to play.