In one of the more surprising turns this summer, Mario Lemina has reportedly been told he can leave Southampton, with the player claiming it part of the plan all along.
The Gabonese midfielder has been a decent player for the Saints since arriving from Juventus after joining in 2017, yet he always saw it as a stepping stone.
Lemina has already been linked with several clubs, including Manchester United, and one who are showing particular interest is Saint Etienne.
L’Equipe report today that the Ligue 1 side have identified Lemina as a possible signing although, by the looks of things, a move is doubtful at this point.
They explain that Saint Etienne can’t afford the €15m asking price for the midfielder, so a permanent move is off the cards.
A loan is more likely but, like with the transfer fee, the French side couldn’t afford Lemina’s wages either, not if Southampton wanted them to pay 100% of them anyway.
Therefore, the newspaper says the ‘the arrival of the former Marseille seems possible only in the form of a loan’ although whether Southampton would accept that, mainly if they still had to pay Lemina’s wages, is debatable.
And Saint Etienne isn’t exactly the step up he was planning for.
