Liverpool are already plotting a summer bid to sign another Southampton star – Reports

Liverpool are plotting to raid Southampton yet again, this time for midfielder Mario Lemina, according to reports.

The Gabon international moved from Marseille to Juventus in 2015, where he spent two seasons, helping the Italian giants win the domestic double each time.

Southampton snapped Lemina from Juventus in the summer, paying around £18million to secure his signature in a then-club-record deal for the Saints.

The Gabonese has played in 20 Premier League games for Southampton, scoring just one goal and that was a rocket in a vital 3-2 win over West Bromwich Albion.

Now it seems that the ex-Juventus man is attracting major interest from Liverpool, as French publication L’Equipe report that Liverpool ‘love’ Lemina and could launch an audacious bid in the summer to sign the talented midfielder.

Since 2014, Southampton have become sick of Liverpool as we have continuously raided the seaside club.

Sadio Mane, Adam Lallana, Rickie Lambert, Dejan Lovren, Nathaniel Clyne and, most recently, Virgil van Dijk have all made the move to Merseyside from the south coast.

The report adds that the Reds are ready to sign Lemina from Southampton and have been tracking the player for some time now.

Liverpool already have Naby Keita arriving this summer from RB Leipzig, but with Emre Can expected to leave Anfield when his contract expires, Jurgen Klopp views Lemina as the ideal midfielder who can play in an advanced position or as a box-to-box midfielder.

“Emre is here in the moment and that is the most important thing,” Klopp told reporters in January as quoted by Sports Illustrated.

“We have to create a situation where players want to stay – that’s all we can do as a club, as a team and me as a manager.

“For me, there is no problem if Emre plays like he is in the moment.

“Especially with the injury of Hendo (Jordan Henderson), he’s been playing pretty much all the time which is really difficult.”

So it makes sense for the Reds to go after Lemina in the summer. The Gabonese is a talented midfielder and has performed quite well since signing for the Saints at the start of the season.

If we succeed in signing Lemina, the midfielder would bring a different flair to the team. And having played for Marseille and Juventus, the midfielder also boasts of good experience and could work well in tandem with Keita.