Fulham have agreed a fee with Southampton for their Gabonese midfielder Mario Lemina, according to France Football.
The 26 year-old has spent the last season on loan with Galatarasay, where he made twenty appearances alongside Jean Michael Seri as Fatih Terim’s finished a disappointing sixth in the table. The Turkish club were keen to try and land Lemina on a permanent deal, but the same financial considerations that have dogged their pursuit of Seri made this impossible. Lemina arrived at St. Mary’s from Juventus in August 2017 for a club-record fee believed to be more than £15m but has struggled to showcase his full potential with the Saints, making 52 appearances in two seasons and scoring two goals.
He had been in and out of a powerful Juventus side that won back-to-back doubles during his time in Italy and came through the Lorient academy set-up before making the move to Marseilles in 2013. Lemina has won eighteen senior caps for Gabon, scoring three goals, having switched allegiances to the land of his birth after helping the French under-20 side win the World Cup back in 2013.
Fulham are also close to completing the capture of Saints midfielder Harrison Reed, who spent last season on loan at Craven Cottage, with a permanent deal said to be imminent.
UPDATE: Various reports now suggesting that the Lemina deal will be an initial loan, with an option to buy, if it goes through.
Harrison Reed great,.Lamina no as far as I can see he is lazy but does have occasional brilliant moments
As a saints fan – we would all wish reed the best – Lemina has so much quality but unfortunately just doesn’t have the attitude to go with it. On his day our best midfielder, but those days are few and far between. If you can get him firing would be a quality signing
Got a horrible feeling this is going to backfire on us !
same feeling here..transfer window started ok but now threatening to unravel for saints you cant offload three defensive mids and not replace them..
Lamina lot to prove great if Reed deal gets done
Fulham know Reed and looks like he’s happy so good luck to him, Lemina on his day could play in any midfield in World football he is that good, but mentality is shocking, spends to much time trying to be a social media star, it gets cringy
Here we go again repeat of 2018/19.
More foreign crap don’t we ever learn thank god we can’t watch at the Cottage at least if you watch on the telly there’s an OFF BUTTON.
Hey ho keep the faith COYW
Rather they get anguissa back,
Reed and Anguisa, we don’t need a another mid that isn’t firing on all cylinders. Can we have a proven prem players this time please?
Don’t know this guy from Adam. However despite the negative comments neither AK nor Onimah were rated a while ago, now they are heroes. Perhaps SP ‘s man management skills have made the difference. I am however puzzled why we think we need him is it for creativity or is Anguissa not coming back?
With Parker Chauffeuring us and Miro the Mauler in fine form I am sure we can knock him into shape….with hardnut Harrison comming home great times ahead.Onwardd and Upwards as other around us tumble……