According to a recent report by talkSPORT, Manchester United have moved ahead of Arsenal and Leicester City in pursuit of Southampton midfielder Mario Lemina during this summer transfer period. The same source has revealed that the Saints talent fancies a move to Old Trafford with the South-coast outfit looking to cash in on him in this off-season.
TalkSPORT correspondent Alex Crook had recently reported, “Three Premier League clubs have enquired about Mario Lemina; Manchester United, Arsenal and Leicester.
“I’m guessing the interest from Leicester is probably over now that they have signed [Youri] Tielemans – and Arsenal are obviously in a bit of disarray with [Laurent] Koscielny.
“My understanding is that Manchester United is Lemina’s preferred destination. He has offers to return to Italy with Atalanta but he wants to play at the highest level.”
Lemina Had To Endure A Tough Season At The St. Mary’s Stadium
Lemina has shown some glimpses of what he is capable of in the Premier League, but he has struggled to be match-fit at Southampton thus far. Even when he was fit and ready for regular first-team action, the Saints had opted to use him sporadically last season.
The Gabon midfield ace featured in 46 matches in the English top-flight, finding the back of the net twice while creating two assists. Lemina has also represented his nation in 15 international games while scoring two goals for them until now.
What Will The Saints Midfielder Bring To The Theatre Of Dreams?
The Saints prospect is highly versatile as he can play in multiple positions across the field. He prefers to assume the role of a defensive midfielder but can fill in at right-back as well which makes him such a useful asset for Southampton.
Lemina has enough pace in his locker to make some driving runs from midfield. The Gabon midfielder can also distribute the ball accurately, but he struggles in winning aerial duels at the middle of the park, so he needs to hit the gym and develop his upper body strength during the preseason.
The former Juventus youngster will add more depth to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s squad, but he is not good enough to play for an elite club like Man United every week. Lemina is yet to prove his worth in the Premier League which makes him a risky option for the Red Devils this summer.
