The Southampton fans in the Transfer Tavern were mightily impressed by Mario Lemina during his debut season in English football and they are hoping he will remain at St Mary’s this summer despite various reports of interest emerging from elsewhere.
Very little was known about the Gabonese international when he joined the Saints from Juventus last summer, but he has established himself as one to watch for the future within a single Premier League season. At the heart of Southampton’s midfield, Lemina provided plenty of flair and creativity from a deep-lying position whilst simultaneously offering a defensive shield for the back-four.
His performances have supposedly attracted interest from rival Premier League clubs, but no official bid has been made for his services thus far. With plenty for Lemina to consider this summer, Southampton’s activity in the transfer market could play a decisive role in determining his future, so Mark Hughes must abandon his interest in Celtic’s Stuart Armstrong if he wishes to keep the 24-year-old at the club.
According to a recent report from The Sun, Southampton have joined Crystal Palace and Brighton in the race to sign Armstrong (valued at £1.8 million by transfermarkt). It’s easy to understand why the Saints are expressing an interest in Armstrong considering his transfermarkt valuation and the fact he has just one year left on his contract, but they will need to show more ambition in order to convince Lemina to remain on the south coast.
Although he is only new to English football, Lemina arrived from an esteemed background which saw him play at Marseille and Juventus, so naturally he will be eager to rejoin another prestigious club in the future. Armstrong is no mug by any means and Southampton have every right to be showing an interest in what could potentiality represent a bargain transfer, but there’s no doubt that his arrival would give Lemina legitimate cause for concern ahead of the new season.
Now that Liverpool have secured the signing of Fabinho it seems unlikely that the Reds will attempt to raid Southampton for one of their prize assets once again, however, it’s likely that other top clubs from across the continent have taken note of Lemina’s progress during the past twelve months, and he could be tempted into a summer move if his current club fail to show the level of ambition that is required to finish in the top-ten next season.
Southampton fans – thoughts? Let us know below!
