In the game of football, talent can only get you so far without the right attitude to compliment it, and for Mario Lemina, his story at Southampton more than backs up this claim.
The former Juventus midfielder was seen as a coup for the Saints back in 2017 when the Gabon international joined the Premier League side for a reported fee of £18.1m according to BBC Sport, yet despite the excitement at the time, Lemina ultimately failed at Southampton.
The 25-year-old was left out of Ralph Hasenhuttl’s pre-season tour this summer as reported by Sky Sports News and was subsequently shipped off to Galatasaray on the final day of the European transfer window on loan, and Lemina’s latest posts on social media show that Southampton were right to move on the midfielder.
Having not been at the Turkish club for less than a week, Lemina claimed via The Daily Echo he was ‘in love’ with Galatasaray, as well as eager to start playing for ‘this mythical club’. Indeed, there is an allure to playing for a team as big as Gala, however, these comments show that Southampton were right to move on the midfielder.
It seemingly appears that Lemina, who made 52 appearances in all competitions for Southampton as numbers from Transfermarkt show, was as eager to leave the club as the board and manager were for the former Juventus man to walk as well, and in doing so Hasenhuttl has not only moved on an underperforming player but a negative figure in the dressing room.
With Lemina being one of many big-name players to leave Southampton this summer, Hasenhuttl appears to be trying to improve the atmosphere around the club heading into an important season that could see the Saints elevate their reputation in the Premier League, and moving on the likes of the Gabon midfielder is a step in the right direction.
