Everton have made contact with Southampton regarding the potential signing of Mario Lemina, according to Dominic King of the Daily Mail, via The Daily Star.
The Toffees are looking for an Idrissa Gueye replacement after the Senegalese midfielder was sold to Paris Saint-Germain, with Lemina among the candidates.
They will want to get the deal done quickly, as a holding midfielder is one of five signings the club are hoping to make in the remainder of the summer, as reported by The Liverpool Echo.
Lemina made 18 Premier League starts for Southampton last season, coming off the bench three times, scoring one goal and assisting once, as per WhoScored.
The Gabon international made 2.3 tackles, 2 interceptions and 1.4 clearances per game, while also making 1.1 dribbles and averaging 38.6 passes a game with a pass success rate of 86%.
In contrast, Gueye started 32 Premier League matches last season and came on as a substitute once, getting two assists.
He made 4.3 tackles, 2.2 interceptions and 1.3 clearances per game, while also making 0.7 dribbles and averaging 52.8 passes with a success rate of 84.3%.
While Lemina doesn’t stack up against Gueye defensively, especially in terms of tackles, he does come relatively close and his ability to start plays can be another lure for Everton.
When Juventus signed him from Marseille back in 2015, they wrote on their official club website: “Towering at 1.84 metres, Mario Lemina brings physical strength to Juventus’ central areas, solid protection to the backline and an ability to launch attacks with accurate distribution.”
Indeed, looking at the above, Lemina could bring so much to the Everton midfield.
There are very few (if any) midfielders who Everton would be able to sign that match up to Gueye in terms of their defensive statistics. Those 4.3 tackles he averaged per game in the Premier League last season meant he topped the charts in that department. Bearing that in mind, the Gabon international falling short there shouldn’t go against him.
Lemina is still solid out of possession and can also make an impact with the ball at his feet, which would make him a good replacement for Gueye, even if he offers something slightly different.
Everton fans, would you like to see Lemina come in for Gueye? Comment below!
