Mario Lemina has told Southampton manager Ralph Hassenhuttl he would like to leave the club this summer.
Lemina endured a nightmare season with injuries last term and is ready to call quits on his time at Southampton after two years.
Southampton signed Lemina from Juventus in a club-record deal worth £18m in the summer of 2017 and the 25-year-old impressed in his maiden campaign.
Tottenham were linked with a move for Lemina 12 months ago but their interest has cooled following a thoroughly disappointing year.
Lemina is arguably the best midfielder at Southampton but the club were unable to count on him for the most part of last season.
Serie A outfit Atalanta are monitoring Lemina’s future and the midfielder has revealed he would like a move away from Saint Mary’s this summer.
“I still have another three years of contract, but it is true that I do not rule out the possibility of seeing something else,” he told The Daily Mirror.
“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.”
Lemina was omitted from Southampton’s squad for their pre-season tour of Austria, which suggests his comments have accelerated a transfer away.
The Gabon international has made 46 league appearances for Southampton over the last two years.
Of the 87 players that have attempted at least 80 dribbles in the Premier League in that period, only three have a better success rate than Lemina (75.6%).
