According to the Daily Mail’s renowned journalist Dominic King, Everton have made contact with Southampton to secure the signature of Mario Lemina during this summer transfer period. In a recent tweet, King provided an update which read, “Everton are keen to sign Mario Lemina and have made contact with Southampton but a deal is not close,”
In an interview with France Football last month (via the Daily Star), Lemina revealed that he has no plans to stay at the St. Mary’s Stadium when he said,
“I’m not afraid, I made a choice and I take it to the end.
“I stand by my plan, I decided to tell the leaders that I wanted to leave, there is no turning back.
“There is a risk, of course, but I know what I’m capable of, I’m 100 per cent and I’m going to prove that I can get back to my best.
“Some clubs may be more cautious, but they already know me. I am ready to move on.”
Lemina’s Frustrations At The South-Coast Of England
Lemina has already shown a few glimpses of his brilliance in the Premier League, but he has found it challenging to stay match-fit at Southampton so far. The Saints chose to use him sporadically in the previous campaign even when he was fit and available for regular first-team action.
The Gabon international featured in 23 matches for the South-Coast outfit last season, finding the back of the net once while providing one assist across all competitions. Lemina has also made 15 international appearances for Gabon while scoring two goals for his country thus far.
What Will The Saints Midfielder Bring To Merseyside?
The Southampton talent is versatile enough to operate in multiple positions across the pitch. He primarily plays as a defensive midfielder but can assume the duties of a right-back as well if required.
Lemina is moderately paced and can complete some lung-bursting dribbles from midfield. The Gabon midfielder can also spray passes accurately at the centre of the park and is capable of creating a few chances for the front players. However, he is physically fragile and can get dominated in the air by the opposition. Hence, the former Juventus prospect should hit the gym to work on improving his upper body strength in this off-season.
Recruiting Lemina: Risky Move For Silva?
The potential acquisition of Lemina will add more depth to Marco Silva’s squad, but he is not good enough to play regular first-team football at Goodison Park. The Gabon midfield ace has still not proven his true worth in the English top-flight which makes him a risky option for the Toffees this summer.
