Southampton signs Mario Lemina from Juventus for €17M

Southampton announced Tuesday it has signed Mario Lemina from Juventus on a five-year deal, with the Italian club confirming a transfer fee of €17 million paid over three years, with a further €3 million in potential add-ons.

Lemina is the first significant signing for the Saints in the summer transfer window and brings a player of considerable potential and quality to Mauricio Pellegrino's side amid reports of the potentially imminent sale of Virgil van Dijk.

The 23-year-old Gabon international made the move to Juventus in 2015 on loan before joining the club permanently last summer. He appeared 42 times for the Bianconeri, scoring three goals for the club.

"I am really happy to have signed for Southampton," Lemina said in a club-issued statement by Southampton. "I think that it was the project that attracted me the most and the one my family was really behind. I am really happy to be here."