According to reports, Premier League side Southampton have signed Mario Lemina from Serie A giants Juventus in a £18m deal. The Gabon international becomes only the second arrival for the Saints this summer.
“Investing in a player of Mario’s quality and buying from a club like Juventus is a significant statement of intent from the club and this is a purchase that has set another club-record fee,” said Southampton vice chairman (football), Les Reed.
The South Coast club are banking heavily on their new boss Mauricio Pellegrino to take the side home this season following a not so good campaign under French manager Claude Puel. Following a fifth-place finish in the 2015-16 season, the Saints had to take few steps back last season as they could only manage to squeeze in the top half at the last moment.
They could gather only 46 points from 38 games and they have been lucky in more than one ways given the dismal results that most mid and lower table sides could churn out last season. There was a slim six-point gap between them and Watford, the last side to escape relegation finishing in the 17th position.
Southampton cannot really take their last season as a positive on any note. And if their recent managerial history is anything to go by, the new manager at the helm who had an impressive season with La Liga side Alaves last term, should follow the successful paths of Mauricio Pochettino and Ronald Koeman too.
Southampton have only brought in Polish international Jan Bednarek from Lech Poznan so far, and the buy of Lemina from last season’s Champions League finalists Juventus surely gives a signal of intent from the side, who have otherwise been forced to play the victim card with Virgil van Dijk’s feared move out hanging as a sword upon their shoulders.
Lemina hasn’t been very influential for the Italian side last season though, managing just 27 appearances under manager Max Allegri in all competitions. However, the African has shown potential from the middle of the park with his tireless work rate and phenomenal speed with Premier League clubs like Stoke City, Watford and Leicester City all showing interest in him at some time.
He has played with and against some of the best players in the world and would bring a chunk of experience to Southampton above anything. Lemina moved from Marseille to Juventus last summer following an impressive loan season. He had managed only 10 games in 2015 but Allegri was sure of his talent.
Although his involvement increased last season, having the likes of Sami Khedira and Miralem Pjanic in the pecking order meant he has to work much harder. He should find it much easier at Southampton now, where he would compete with Steven Davis, Pierre-Emile Höjbjerg, James Ward-Prowse and Oriol Romeu.
