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This article is part of Football FanCast's Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news...

According to France Football, Southampton outcast Mario Lemina is an option for Monaco if they cannot lure their former midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko back to France.

What's the word, then?

Well, after reportedly being open to selling the Gabon international in the summer window, Southampton are seemingly keen to offload the former Juventus man, who cost them £18.1m in 2017.

The 25-year-old appears to no longer be wanted at St Mary's by Ralph Hasenhuttl having been left out of the matchday squad in both of the Saints' Premier League games so far this season - he isn't even injured, so his absence is purely Hasenhuttl's decision.

You could argue that they miss Lemina having lost both of those games, although all the signs suggest that the side from the coast want him gone.

Should be hoping for the Bakayoko deal to break down

If Bakayoko does successfully end up back in Ligue 1 with Monaco, Lemina will most likely be stuck at Southampton at least until January, with the transfer window for European clubs set to close on September 2nd.

France Football reports that €15m (£13.7m) should be enough for Monaco to buy Lemina if they do decide to move for him, and the Saints should be praying that the French side cannot strike a deal with Bakayoko so that they can finally offload the unwanted man.

They would already be making a small loss if they did sell for €15m (£13.7m), and considering Southampton reportedly want to sell him coupled with his absence from the team, you could argue that his price tag will drop even lower come the January window.

In order to get as much money as possible for Lemina, the Saints should be hoping that Chelsea do not allow Bakayoko to go to Monaco.

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