SOUTHAMPTON have signed Juventus midfielder Mario Lemina for a fee believed to be around £13.5million.
The Gabon international has penned a five-year deal with the Premier League outfit. Lemina started his career in France, with Lorient, before joining Marseille in 2013 and then moving to Juventus in 2015, initially on loan, before completing a permanent transfer last summer.
In his time with the Bianconeri, he won both the Serie A title and the Coppa Italia twice, and featured in last season’s Champions League final defeat against Real Madrid.
After completing his move, Lemina said: “I am really happy to have signed for Southampton.
“I think that it was the project that attracted me the most and the one my family was really behind.
“I am really happy to be here.”
Lemina still had three years left to run on his deal in Turin with the Serie A champions after signing from French club Marseille in 2015. However he struggled to cement a place in Massimiliano Allegri’s starting 11, and was on the hunt for regular first team football outside of Italy.
Vice Chairman of football Les Reed added: “Mario is an outstanding talent who has already achieved a great deal in his career, winning a number of titles and gaining experience of playing on some of the biggest stages in world football.
“Investing in a player of Mario’s quality and buying from a club like Juventus is a significant statement of intent from the club, and this is a purchase that has set another club-record fee.
“Mario still has his best years ahead of him, and we believe that he will not only be an excellent acquisition for us in the immediate future, but that he will also be able to realise even more of his potential here in the years to come. “In a volatile market with some extraordinary and inexplicable transfers taking place, we are determined to go about our work in a diligent and correct way.
"This is a player who has won trophies and played in the Champions League final less than three months ago and he has signed for Saints amid a host of suitors.
“Mario will complement what is already an extremely strong group of midfield players in our squad, and we are excited about what he will bring to the group.”
From The Sun
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