Southampton: Fans can’t decide on best action for star midfielder

Many Southampton fans cannot agree on what is best for the club in terms of Mario Lemina.

The central midfielder has allegedly been attracting interest from Arsenal and Manchester United this summer, according to The Sun, but no move is yet to take off.

The 25-year-old only started half of the games last season, and came on in three, taking his tally to 21 appearances – though he was out for a large portion due to injury. He also scored one goal and assisted once, per WhoScored.

The Gabonese player joined the club two summers ago for a then club-record transfer fee of £18.1million, according to the BBC.

According to the Star via The Metro, Lemina has been told he can leave if the right bid comes in, after he was left out of the Saints pre-season tour of Austria. The club allegedly want £18million for the player.

Lemina irked some of the Southampton fans when he posted a highlight reel video to his Twitter with the caption “I KNOW WHAT I CAN REACH AND I WILL FIGHT FOR IT”, which could be interpreted as a ‘come and get me’ plea.

I KNOW WHAT I CAN REACH AND I WILL FIGHT FOR IT ⚡️⚡️ #TonicLikeLeminade pic.twitter.com/nZ2BwOv7bj

— Mario Lemina (@LeminaM_13) July 10, 2019

He has already admitted this summer that he would like a fresh start after his long injury, and has said that the club have agreed to let him go, Lemina told FootMercato (via Get French Football News).

However, it has been reported that Manchester United’s interested in the midfielder has now petered out, according to The Sun, with the belief that they are being used as “bait to prompt a £30million auction”.

Now, with United allegedly out of the race, many Southampton fans can’t decide on whether they want the player to stay or go.

Here are just some of the responses on Twitter to the debate surrounding Lemina.

He's still our player and if he wants this move so badly he will play through his skin this season to get a big move. I don't have a problem with that. Time to reintegrate him with the squad imo. #saintsfc https://t.co/j4q6anCMAZ

— Hass (@hasfabulous) July 15, 2019

I think Ralph has already signalled his intention that he isn’t interested in entertaining his ego

I’m fine with him wasting his immense talent, he did it at Juve, he’s doing it here.

Let him know we’ll only sell him on our terms and let him rot, sending a message to others

— Brad (@BradSaintsfc) July 16, 2019

https://twitter.com/spaceinvader810/status/1150830854538694657

https://twitter.com/JusticeCraig/status/1150821869592961024

Sadly that's not how it works these day, he will be on strike by end of the week and forcing a move, we have all seen it before and know that we don't have a back bone to stop it #saintsfc

— RJFyfe (@fyfe_rj) July 16, 2019