Southampton: Saints close to selling two senior midfielders to Fulham

Southampton are close to selling midfield duo Harrison Reed and Mario Lemina to Premier League rivals Fulham, according to reports.

Via BBC Radio Solent’s Adam Blackmore, the fee for Reed’s permanent deal will be around £8m whilst Lemina will join the Cottagers on an initial season-long loan with an option to buy next summer.

Personal terms for both deals are yet to be agreed and loaning Lemina out is said to not be ideal for Saints given that they wanted to sell him permanently too.

Reed’s fee will, of course, go some way to helping the club secure the midfield signing that they want to get in before the end of the summer transfer window.

It looked for a long time that the incoming player would be Schalke 04 man Weston McKennie but it now appears that the USA international will be joining Juventus instead.

More from Saints Marching

• Grading the Southampton Transfer Window Part 2: Arrivals
• Grading the Southampton Transfer Window Part 1: Departures
• It’s time to talk about Gavin Bazunu
• Rain clouds on the horizon? Southampton beat Plymouth Argyle
• A lament for Southampton legend James Ward-Prowse

Olivier Ntcham is said to be another option and may be available at a more affordable price for Saints at this time. We will probably be seeing developments about who the Hojbjerg replacement will be soon now that it looks like a couple of players will departing.

In all, Harrison Reed has made 30 appearances for Saints after coming through their youth academy ranks and becoming a first-team player back in the 2013/14 season.

He has been stuck behind other midfielders when on the South Coast though and has since impressed hugely in loan spells with Norwich City, Blackburn Rovers and Fulham.

His busy style in and out of possession would be suited to how Saints play under Ralph Hasenhuttl but it seems like the lack of first-team games at St Mary’s has now forced him to pursue an option where he will be a regular starter.

Mario Lemina has played 52 times in all for Saints but he was sent out on loan to Galatasaray at the beginning of last season.

The fee on his head this summer was reportedly £10m but no such offers have come in and it now appears that he will be lining up alongside Reed at Craven Cottage this coming year.