Manchester United and Arsenal will have to pay around £18m to sign Southampton midfielder Mario Lemina this summer.
The Gabon international has emerged for a target for the Premier League rivals after the Saints made it clear they were willing to listen to offers for the midfielder.
The 25-year-old is not part of Ralph Hasenhuttl’s plans for next season and was left out of the Saints’ pre-season tour of Austria.
Lemina was a target for Arsenal when he was at Juventus but Southampton won the race for his signature in 2017, paying £18m for his services.
According to the Evening Standard, Southampton are happy to let Lemina leave and want to recoup the £18m they paid for him.
‘I still have another three years of contract. But it is true that I do not rule out the possibility of seeing something else,’ said Lemina.
‘The last four months have not been easy for me, with my injury. The coach put his team together. I want to start afresh. So why not leave?
‘We have very good discussions with the club. We are in agreement. If I don’t feel good in this project, I can leave.
‘They are giving me the opportunity to be able to go elsewhere.’
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wants to add at least one midfielder to his squad in the remaining month of the transfer window having lost Marouane Fellaini and Ander Herrera in the last six months.
Sean Longstaff of Newcastle United is one target but the Magpies are demanding £30m for the 21-year-old.
Unai Emery has just £45m to spend this summer and is focusing on moves for Kieran Tierney and Wilfried Zaha.
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