Manchester United Given Permission to Hold Talks With Southampton's Mario Lemina
Manchester United have been given the green light to hold talks with Gabon international Mario Lemina, who is looking for a summer move away from Southampton.
The 25-year-old moved to St Mary's Stadium in a £15.5m deal from Juventus two years ago and he's gone on to make 52 appearances for the club across all competitions.
Lemina is looking to take a step up this summer and he's attracted interest from Manchester United, who've been keeping tabs on the midfielder throughout his time in the Premier League.
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With interest also coming from Arsenal and Leicester City, The Times reports that Manchester United have been given permission to hold talks with Lemina over a possible move to Old Trafford ahead of the new season.
They add that Ralph Hasenhüttl's side would be willing to accept an offer of £18.5m for Lemina this summer.
The former Juventus midfielder has had a largely impressive two-year spell with Southampton but he's struggled to maintain a high level of consistency on the south coast.
Lemina missed out on a starting spot under Hasenhüttl last season to Pierre-Emile Höjbjerg and Oriol Romeu, while talented England international James Ward-Prowse can also play as a deep-lying midfielder for the club.
It's unknown at this stage how much interest Arsenal and Leicester City have in completing a deal this summer, but Manchester United are leading the race for Lemina's signature as they look to overhaul their midfield.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side have also been heavily linked with a move for Newcastle United's Sean Longstaff, while long-term target Sergej Milinković-Savić is once again being mentioned as a potential replacement for Paul Pogba.
