Southampton have completed the signing of attacking midfielder Filip Djuricic from Benfica on loan until the end of the season.
Djuricic, 23, was on loan for the first half of the season at German side Mainz 05, but has chosen to move to the Premier League and Southampton boss Ronald Koeman is delighted with the flexibility he will bring.
OFFICIAL: We're delighted to announce that #SaintsFC have completed a #deadlineday move for Filip Djuričić. pic.twitter.com/HIc8fuFfOH
- Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) February 2, 2015
"I know the player from Holland," Koeman told Southampton's official YouTube channel of the Serbian international. "He played several seasons for Heerenveen and then he moved to Benfica.
"He had some good games, there was a lot of interest in the player when he was at Heerenveen. He moved to Portugal and now it's a good chance for the player to develop himself.
"It's a young player, he's 23 years old, he's technical, fast and he can play in different positions in the midfield. He can play on the left side and the right side.
"It's part of the philosophy of the club; young players. He was in a difficult situation, he was on loan at Mainz and we will take him on loan for the rest of the season.
"It's a good possibility for him, and for us it's one more player who can play in different positions. It's always best for the coach to have more possibilities in players who can change positions.
"The last few weeks we have had problems to score goals, like Sunday. We created good opportunities and you have to score, always it's easy to have really good competition."
Djuricic spent time in the youth systems of Radnicki Obrenovac, Red Star Belgrade and Olympiacos, before returning to hometown club Obrenovac.
The attacking midfielder subsequently moved to Heerenveen and then Benfica, before being loaned to Mainz for the first half of this season.
Djuricic made 12 appearances in all competitions for the German side before linking up with Serbia teammate Dusan Tadic at St Mary's.
Tadic joined Southampton in the summer from FC Twente and believes his compatriot will prove a wily addition by Koeman.
"He is my good friend and he is a good player," he said. "He is a No. 10 and he knows how to play football. He had a little bit of a difficult period at Mainz, but he is a really good player.
"He is 23 years old. At Heerenveen he was really good and then he went to Benfica, where he did not so much.
"At Mainz it was similar but he has potential and he has quality."
Djuricic and Tadic spoke about the deal before it was finalised - not that the Benfica winger needed much persuading.
"He had watched a lot of our games," Tadic said. "He knows how we play, he knows the coach.
"He knows why he would come here and he knows that we are going to play good football and that it would be good for him, I think."