Liverpool look set to swoop for another Southampton player in the summer transfer window, with the Reds eyeing a move for midfielder Mario Lemina.
According to French publication L’Equipe, Liverpool are not done with their raid on Southampton over the recent years. Mario Lemina is the latest to emerge on the Reds’ radar, with Jurgen Klopp looking to bring the Southampton midfielder over to Anfield in the summer transfer window.
Mario Lemina arrived at Southampton from Juventus in the summer of 2017 as a direct replacement for Victor Wanyama. And while the Saints have struggled a bit, Lemina has been a breath of fresh air in midfield, going about his job as a midfield enforcer with aplomb.
Lemina has 20 appearances in the Premier League so far this season, with a goal to his name, despite missing a few games with a Malleolar injury. It is this consistency of the Gabon international in midfield that has seen him attract higher profile clubs, with Arsenal and Liverpool reportedly interested in the 24-year-old.
While Arsenal were the first club to show interest and still maintain interest in Lemina, their stance is not as clear as Liverpool’s, according to the report. Liverpool do have Naby Keita arriving in the summer but, with the RB Leipzig man being a more creative outlet in midfield, there is still a need for an enforcer.
Add to that, the all but imminent departure of Emre Can in summer and Jurgen Klopp would need to add one holding midfielder – a ball retriever – to round out the squad. While Liverpool are reportedly interested in Victor Wanyama, the player is also a target for Manchester United.
Hence, the Reds are looking to raid Southampton again, this time for the man who had replaced Wanyama at St. Mary’s. Lemina has experience of playing for a top club from his time at Juventus and would ideally not find himself feeling a bit overwhelmed by moving to a club of the stature of Liverpool.
One point that may hinder Liverpool’s chances of securing a move for Lemina could be their botched relationship with Southampton. While the two clubs had done many transfer dealings in recent years, the Virgil van Dijk saga has somewhat put a dent into the reputation.
Van Dijk did end up moving to Liverpool but it was more because of the Southampton man pushing for a move rather than a mutual understanding between the two clubs, something Lemina is unlikely to do within just a season of his career at St. Mary’s.
This looks like a deal that should ideally be completed by Liverpool. But, the Reds will have to be wary of not over-negotiating their way out of a transfer come summer.
