Report: Fulham confident of convincing Southampton loanee to stay if they stay up

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Fulham are confident that they will be able to convince Mario Lemina to sign permanently from Southampton in the summer should they stay up, according to a report from The Sun.

Lemina has made 20 Premier League appearances for the Cottagers since arriving on loan. And he scored his first goal for the club in some style at the weekend as Scott Parker’s men beat Liverpool.

It felt like a big win in the battle to beat the drop. Fulham are now level on points with Brighton, and just one adrift of Newcastle.

The two sides above the Cottagers do have a game in hand. But it is Fulham who have the momentum, taking 11 points from their last six and beating the champions.

And it appears that they are making plans in case they do manage to stay up.

The Sun reports that they are confident of holding onto all of their loan signings, including Lemina. It is noted that the Saints star is one of the players Fulham already have an option to buy in place.

TBR View: Lemina exit may divide Saints fans

Southampton fans are well aware of how good Lemina – who earns £40,000-a-week, according to Spotrac – can be when he is at his best.

His quality has rarely been in doubt. However, other aspects of his game have prevented him from becoming a key player at St Mary’s.

So some Southampton fans may be divided about the prospect of him leaving permanently. Admittedly, it looks unlikely that he is going to get another chance under Ralph Hasenhuttl.

And some may be more than happy to see him finally go permanently. But others may wonder if they will ultimately rue seeing him leave for good after a season in which they have struggled for depth.