Turkish giants Galatasaray are reportedly poised to make an €8m offer for Southampton midfielder Mario Lemina.
According to Turkish Football, Galatasaray have set aside €8m as they prepare to submit a bid for the Gabon international.
The report claims that they do not have the finances available to exercise their €16m option-to-buy and they are now trying to renegotiate the fee.
READ SOUTHAMPTON VERDICT
It will be very interesting to see Southampton’s reaction to Galatasaray offering €8m. Turkish Football claim that Galatasaray are happy with Lemina’s form this season, so why should his price tag be cut in half?
Southampton valued Lemina at €16m in the summer and he has enjoyed an impressive campaign so far. He has averaged a WhoScored rating of 7.26 in the Turkish league this season, making two tackles, 1.2 interceptions and 1.2 clearances per game in midfield.
This shows why they could be interested in keeping him at the club beyond the summer, such is his ability to win the ball back. When you consider that, Southampton should be holding out for a fee closer to €16m, rather than letting Galatasaray land him on the cheap.
Other clubs could become keen on the Gabon midfielder if they learn that Galatasaray are unable to afford him and Southampton decide to reject their offer of €8m.
There is nothing to suggest that his price tag should have dropped so dramatically in the last six months for Galatasaray to sign him for that price, so Southampton need to stand strong and hold out for a reasonable fee in line with their previous €16m valuation.
