Mario Lemina - Official: Signs for Nice

[Billy the Kidd]

1 minute ago, TWar said:

Absolutely, happy to help. We have lost this summer:

Lemina - Nice - ~£4m
Gunn - Norwich - ~£5.5m
Bertrand - Leicester - Free
Hoedt - Anderlecht - Unknown (rumoured about £2m)
Jankewitz - BSC Young Boys - Unknown (Rumoured £1.5m rising to £4m with some unlikely bonuses)
Sims - No club yet, on trial at pompey - Free
Hesketh - No club yet, failed a trial at pompey - Free

Incomings:

Perraud - Stade Brest - £11m
Walcott - Everton - Free
Simeu (on the verge of signing) - Chelsea - ~£500k

I was thinking about the wages we are also saving, i may be way out but thought i'd have a go:

Lemina - £70k pw
Gunn - £40k pw
Bertrand - £70k pw
Hoedt - £60k pw
Jankewitz - £10k pw
Sims - £10k pw
Hesketh - £10k pw

If correct, that is c. £270k pw, Factor in Peraud, likely £50k pw leaves us over £200k pw clear right now. That is c. £10.5m pa in wages, and is why I wouldnt be surprised if Vestergaard is sold, saving another £50-£60k pw, plus £15m transfer fee.

[TWar]

1 minute ago, SuperSAINT said:

Can add Slattery & Tchaptchet to this.

Yep! Good shout, I'm working off a slightly out of date list.

[Ivan Katalinic's 'tache]

Not to mention the other, younger players we released at the end of last season, all of whom will have made some savings in terms of wages (albeit probably not to the degree above):
Agbontohoma, David Osaretim
Defise, Lucas Nsiona K
Kpohomouh, Pascal
Latham, Kingsley Finn
Ledwidge, Kameron Malcolm
Morris, James William
O'Connor, Thomas James
Scott, Tommy John

 

[TWar]

Just now, Ivan Katalinic's 'tache said:

Not to mention the other, younger players we released at the end of last season, all of whom will have made some savings in terms of wages (albeit probably not to the degree above):
Agbontohoma, David Osaretim
Defise, Lucas Nsiona K
Kpohomouh, Pascal
Latham, Kingsley Finn
Ledwidge, Kameron Malcolm
Morris, James William
O'Connor, Thomas James
Scott, Tommy John

 

I presume they will be replaced by a new crop of young players.

[Ivan Katalinic's 'tache]

Yes, good point.

[SuperSAINT]

13 minutes ago, TWar said:

I presume they will be replaced by a new crop of young players.

 

12 minutes ago, Ivan Katalinic's 'tache said:

Yes, good point.

They have really thinned out the older players for the B-Team.  Going to be a much younger group.

Theres still time to add a few players, though.

[SuperSAINT]

Mario Lemina’s transfer to Nice signals the end of Southampton’s tireless efforts to offload what can only be described as their deadwood.

Sofiane Boufal, Guido Carrillo, Wesley Hoedt and now Lemina, who cost Southampton a combined £66 million, have departed the club in the last 12 months. Of that outlay, they have received less than £10 million back.

Having them on the books in recent times has hampered the club’s finances, especially as they were all handed lucrative contracts when they made the switch to the south coast. In reality, Southampton got very little — if anything at all — back from their investment in terms of what they offered on the pitch and what they sold those players for.

Boufal, Carrillo and Hoedt went for nominal fees, and Nice agreed to pay €5.5 million including bonuses to sign Lemina.

But with the 27-year-old midfielder finally sealing his long-awaited exit, Southampton can now start to look forward with renewed vigour in transfer windows to come. Yes, they will be feeling the effects of the pandemic, but no longer are they wedded to the quartet that tied them down for so long.

Club sources were hopeful that Lemina would have departed the club before Ralph Hasenhuttl and his players returned to begin pre-season at the start of July. There was interest from several clubs back then, but it was only tentative.

It was no secret that Southampton’s manager and the central midfielder didn’t see eye-to-eye. After all, the former Juventus man was sent out on loan in 2019-20 (to Galatasaray) and 2020-21 (to Fulham). What was surprising, though, is that the two seemed to put their differences behind them and hit it off over the past couple of weeks.

The Athletic is led to believe Hasenhuttl was impressed with the Gabon international’s commitment during pre-season and was seriously considering keeping him at the club until his contract came to its end next summer.

And although the Austrian may feel a tinge of disappointment that he’s gone, the harsh reality is that the good feeling between them both wasn’t ever going to last. It was important the bigger picture remained to be seen: how would their relationship look in three months if Hasenhuttl’s not selecting him? Before long, you have an unhappy highly-paid player around the camp.

But, on the flip side, Southampton’s boss would have viewed him as an extra body in the building and that if potential suitors weren’t going to come forward, he’d have managed the situation.

One former player previously told The Athletic that such was Lemina’s technical ability, he would do things in training that others simply couldn’t. On his day, nobody could get near him. And another senior source once intimated — when Lemina was sent to Turkey on loan — that there are managers who would choose to build a team around Lemina, he is that good.

Southampton just didn’t see enough of those moments to warrant putting an arm around his shoulder day after day.

When the talks with Nice started, it’s understood the French side originally wanted to sign him on a free transfer. You can see the argument that you’re better off keeping Lemina than give him away but figures behind the scenes continued to negotiate. The price eventually rose to €5.5 million including bonuses after some healthy competition from Newcastle. Watford were another Premier League team to show an interest, although it’s believed they wanted Lemina on loan.

As the discussions with Nice progressed, it became apparent late on Thursday evening that France would be his most likely destination. However, against the club’s wishes,  Lemina flew to Paris before heading south to undergo his medical and agree on personal terms.

Senior figures at Southampton were unaware he had gone abroad and indicated they could have fined him for doing so. But they wanted the deal done without any last-minute hiccups, so decided against a monetary punishment.

Supporters will perhaps remember Lemina most for his creativity off the pitch rather than what he did on it.

In his 52 appearances for the club, he scored twice but managed to set social media alight with the birth of #TonicLikeLeminade, which was posted alongside a sped-up highlight reel of his best bits. Upon his return for pre-season, he tweeted #Lemsgacy alongside pictures of him training in a Southampton shirt.

His move to Southampton in 2017 promised so much but as we’ve seen with Hoedt, Carrillo and Boufal, it failed to deliver.

The club will hope they’ve moved on from making expensive mistakes but there will always be a pang of disappointment that the midfielder wasn’t ever able to realise his full potential at St Mary’s.

He now has the opportunity to resurrect his career in Ligue 1 — where you expect his new surroundings on the French Riviera will suit him down to the ground — and remind everyone just how good he can be.

[SuperSAINT]

Fitting that for likely the final Lemina article that marks his Lemsgacy at saints, it features talk of how good he was and could have been, but also clearly illustrates the fact that he’s still a d*ck by f*cking off without permission.

[Sunglasses Ron]

31 minutes ago, SuperSAINT said:

Fitting that for likely the final Lemina article that marks his Lemsgacy at saints, it features talk of how good he was and could have been, but also clearly illustrates the fact that he’s still a d*ck by f*cking off without permission.

Yup, pretty much sums he up as the complete cow pat of a signing that he was for us.

[saint lard]

For those wondering why nothing came from Official sources at Southampton for a time after it was announced by Nice…..

Mario Lemina flew to France to complete his move to OGC Nice without permission from Southampton, senior figures at the club indicated they could have fined him for doing so - but they wanted the deal done, so decided against a punishment. 
if true….shows his utter contempt and unprofessionalism  until the end of his tenure with us. 

[LiberalCommunist]

Good luck Nice, you are going to need it to get a tune from that lazy bonehead. 

[S-Clarke]

5 hours ago, saint lard said:

For those wondering why nothing came from Official sources at Southampton for a time after it was announced by Nice…..

Mario Lemina flew to France to complete his move to OGC Nice without permission from Southampton, senior figures at the club indicated they could have fined him for doing so - but they wanted the deal done, so decided against a punishment. 
if true….shows his utter contempt and unprofessionalism  until the end of his tenure with us. 

I know it's just speculation, but that's so believable. I wouldn't have expected anything less from him.

He's a totally flawed individual. A complete journeyman who will forever have an unfilled career in the sense of being a footballer, but I'm sure his bank balance and brands are strong.

[SuperSAINT]

Ralph confirmed he wanted him to stay.

On one hand, it's good management to keep the option open... But on the other, I'm amazed it was remotely an option.

[Lighthouse]

11 minutes ago, SuperSAINT said:

Ralph confirmed he wanted him to stay.

On one hand, it's good management to keep the option open... But on the other, I'm amazed it was remotely an option.

Me too. I can only assume it's just positive spiel for the sake of good PR. I can't imagine either party was ever sincere in that.

[Holmes_and_Watson]

While Lemina insists he has retired from international football due to heart complications following covid, the French press are still saying it was for a breach of discipline as he, along with Aubameyang, got drunk ahead of a game at AFCON.

[HarvSFC]

He always did show a lack of heart to be fair.

[Uncle Albert]

11 minutes ago, HarvSFC said:

He always did show a lack of heart to be fair.

Nice👌

[STEVEADAMS]

Another player whose head is too big for the door and wants the money and fame without the effort.

[Lee On Solent Saint]

Real waste of a huge talent. Had all the ingredients to be a Pogba type player. Thought he was going to be are next big thing. Guess there was a reason why Juventus let him go so cheaply 

[Ted Bates Statue]

10 hours ago, Uncle Albert said:

Nice👌

Wonder what they think of him over there? 🙂

Currently in 2nd place in Ligue 1.

[Saint Garrett]

Could have been class for us - unfortunately, he's an absolute waster.

[S-Clarke]

Sadly he was always a bit of a broken player, as others have said it's a waste as technically he had all the tools. His attitude and professionalism is why he'll never make it at the level his talent should be seen at. A modern day nothing-footballer who is all about the $$$ and celebrity. 

Our due-diligence went to sleep when we signed him.

[HnycS]

In the words of Ian Drury "What a waste"

[Uncle Albert]

8 hours ago, HnycS said:

In the words of Ian Drury "What a waste"

What a genius that man was.

[Dellman]

On 27/07/2021 at 22:11, Lighthouse said:

Me too. I can only assume it's just positive spiel for the sake of good PR. I can't imagine either party was ever sincere in that.

We had to big him up to get rid of him

[Master Bates]

Lemina:

"When I left Juventus and arrived at Southampton, I felt that I had taken on a different dimension,” 

“I arrive with a much higher status; I feel strong. But still, on an individual level, staying focused on the fact that I am a talented player. I’m not yet thinking about what I can do to help the team."

“That changes when I move from Southampton to Galatasaray (in summer 2019). When you go to Turkey, at 25, you ask yourself if you are making the right choice."

“But in the end, it was the best experience of my career. It was there that a coach, Fatih Terim, said to me: “We know your talent, leave your personality aside, put yourself at the service of the team.”

“He put this idea in my head, and it clicked. It totally changed the player I was. Before, I thought more about dribbling or trying to break the lines with the ball. Today, that’s not what I want to do anymore.”

[stevy777_x]

39 minutes ago, Master Bates said:

Lemina:

"When I left Juventus and arrived at Southampton, I felt that I had taken on a different dimension,” 

“I arrive with a much higher status; I feel strong. But still, on an individual level, staying focused on the fact that I am a talented player. I’m not yet thinking about what I can do to help the team."

“That changes when I move from Southampton to Galatasaray (in summer 2019). When you go to Turkey, at 25, you ask yourself if you are making the right choice."

“But in the end, it was the best experience of my career. It was there that a coach, Fatih Terim, said to me: “We know your talent, leave your personality aside, put yourself at the service of the team.”

“He put this idea in my head, and it clicked. It totally changed the player I was. Before, I thought more about dribbling or trying to break the lines with the ball. Today, that’s not what I want to do anymore.”

Pity it didn t work out. He matured in his head too late and when he came back last summer, his wife didn t want to stay in Southampton so ultimately leaving was the only outcome

[TWar]

People often overrate the role of a manager but Lemina is a great example of a missmanaged player for me. I think if he had a full preseason and season under Ralph he could have looked really good for us, he just never had anyone here who could reign him in and get the best out of him. Shame really, although Romeu and JWP have both been incredible so I don't know how happy he would have been to ride the bench.

[SuperSAINT]

5 minutes ago, TWar said:

People often overrate the role of a manager but Lemina is a great example of a missmanaged player for me. I think if he had a full preseason and season under Ralph he could have looked really good for us, he just never had anyone here who could reign him in and get the best out of him. Shame really, although Romeu and JWP have both been incredible so I don't know how happy he would have been to ride the bench.

Maybe.  Good player.  But then he’s still just as likely to f*ck off somewhere to force a move.

Edited 12 March, 2022 by SuperSAINT

[TWar]

Just now, SuperSAINT said:

Maybe.  Good player.  But then he’s still just as likely to f*ck off somewhere to force a move.

Yeah, a manager needed to sort his mentality as much as his playstyle. Then again, if Ralph got a good season out of him and he forced a move to a big side we'd likely just let him leave for a decent fee then everyone is a winner. Wasn't to be though.

[S-Clarke]

34 minutes ago, TWar said:

People often overrate the role of a manager but Lemina is a great example of a missmanaged player for me. I think if he had a full preseason and season under Ralph he could have looked really good for us, he just never had anyone here who could reign him in and get the best out of him. Shame really, although Romeu and JWP have both been incredible so I don't know how happy he would have been to ride the bench.

Nah, i think he'll always be a bit flawed. He's gone through many managers and clubs and is a bit of a journeyman because of his personality/mentality, not because he's been mismanaged. 

Wasted talent really as he had all the tools. 

[rooney]

He was lazy.

[Master Bates]

On 12/03/2022 at 16:17, rooney said:

He was lazy.

Tbf so was Le Tiss in a way, pure genius too.

[rooney]

On 13/03/2022 at 18:11, Master Bates said:

Tbf so was Le Tiss in a way, pure genius too.

In no way can you compare him with Le Tiss.

[david in sweden]

Buying foreign players is always a dangerous move.  Of course they have talent, but we should remember 

that " everyone can look good in a good team. "   Coming to the Premier League is hard enough,

and perhaps needing to learn a new playing formation is even harder, but only the most dedicated /

professional players continue to try and improve themselves more. 

Lemina never seemed to see himself as " a Team player ",  likewise Boufal (who left us with the memory 

of 2  or 3  great individual goals), but rarely passed the ball to another team mate in a Prem. game.  

 

Young players (especially) moving up are hungry and try harder, but as soon as you start paying them £30 /40 / 50K

week on a long contract, they realise that they don't have to try  quite so hard   in order to put food on the table.

Many media / journalists seem to go into raptures whenever a £ 70+ million player scores - the occasional goal- 

whilst the seasoned  Prem. strikers score goals on a more regular basis. 

 

 

[Badger]

On 12/03/2022 at 12:00, Master Bates said:

Lemina:

“That changes when I move from Southampton to Galatasaray (in summer 2019). When you go to Turkey, at 25, you ask yourself if you are making the right choice."

“But in the end, it was the best experience of my career. It was there that a coach, Fatih Terim, said to me: “We know your talent, leave your personality aside, put yourself at the service of the team.”

“He put this idea in my head, and it clicked. It totally changed the player I was. Before, I thought more about dribbling or trying to break the lines with the ball. Today, that’s not what I want to do anymore.”

Aged 25 the penny finally drops that it's a team game!