Southampton: Arsenal, Manchester United and Leicester interested in Lemina

Premier League trio Arsenal, Manchester United and Leicester City are reportedly interested in taking midfielder Mario Lemina from Southampton this summer.

According to a report from the Daily Mail, Saints’ fellow top-flight sides have all enquired about the Gabon international’s availability.

Lemina was left out of Ralph Hasenhuttl’s travelling party to a first pre-season training camp in Austria, with the 26-man group arriving there earlier today.

The 25-year-old was reportedly subject to a bid from Serie A side Atalanta recently too, and a move there would see him return to play in Italy again following a spell with Juventus.

Wherever he ends up, it appears that he doesn’t have a future at St Mary’s after two years on the South Coast.

To some, the fact that Lemina has seemingly been frozen out has come as something of a surprise.

There are clearly components to his game that make him a talent, with his ability to drive forward and dribble with the ball often notable in matches.

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An abdominal injury kept him out for around three months of the 2018/19 season and potentially affected his ability to impress Ralph Hasenhuttl when he was appointed in early December.

The form and suitability of other players has also halted his progress at Saints.

Oriol Romeu, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and James Ward-Prowse were all ahead of him in the pecking order last season, with Lemina making just 18 Premier League starts whilst being hampered by his fitness issues.

However, Hasenhuttl is now starting to sort his squad out and is removing any players that he feels he doesn’t need going into the upcoming campaign.

Full-back Matt Targett was sold to Aston Villa last week and further sales are expected in order to raise additional funds for signings.

In the right environment, Lemina could well be a hit at another Premier League side.

With some question marks about his full commitment at times though, perhaps that may need to be assessed by the three clubs said to be looking at him.