AS Monaco could yet sign Mario Lemina on a permanent deal, and this move would be ideal for all parties involved.
The midfielder is surplus to requirements at Southampton. He did not feature in pre-season, and Ralph Hasenhuttl has banished him from first-team training.
Lemina is keen to leave St Mary’s Stadium, and it seems Monaco is a possible destination for him. The Ligue 1 side were recently linked with a move, but speculation had quietened down.
However, new reports from France Football suggest that the Gabon international is a player who is very much in the thinking of Monaco as they go in search of a new central midfielder.
It is also claimed that a permanent deal could be financed by the French outfit, with Saints demanding a figure worth around €15 million.
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It’s obvious that the best possible outcome would be offloading Lemina on a permanent basis. Until now, a temporary deal appeared to have been the more likely conclusion, but it seems Monaco are in a position to take the midfielder off our hands completely.
Lemina has previously flourished in Ligue 1, and if he wants to get back to his best, returning may be a good option. His excellent form at Marseille years ago earned him a move to Juventus, but he hasn’t hit those heights since leaving France.
He is arguably worth more than the quoted €15 million in today’s market, but freeing up funds for the January transfer window should they be required, along with also creating more space on the wage bill, would be a smart move from Saints.
This deal makes a lot of sense, and we can only hope that Monaco decide to act on their reported interest in Lemina.
