Crooks questions why Liverpool and Arsenal didn’t pursue Southampton signing Mario Lemina

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Southampton midfielder Mario Lemina was fantastic at the weekend, and the pundit cannot believe that Liverpool and Arsenal did not target him.

Garth Crooks has told BBC Sport that he cannot believe that Mario Lemina is not playing for Liverpool or Arsenal, and praised Southampton for making the move to sign the 24-year-old.

Lemina joined the Saints from Juventus in a deal worth £18.1 million, according to BBC Sport, during the summer transfer window, and he has made an extremely bright start to life at St Mary’s.

Mauricio Pellegrino’s men are unbeaten in the three games that the Gabon international has played, and he was arguably the Saints’ best player during their 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace at the weekend.

And after including Lemina in his team of the weekend, Crooks admitted that he has been left scratching his head as to why one of the teams who finished above Southampton last term, including Liverpool and Arsenal, failed to make a move during the recent window.

“I suppose when you’ve played for one of the biggest clubs in the world, you should have all the tools to survive in any league. However, what I witnessed in Southampton’s Mario Lemina was a player who seemed to stifle Crystal Palace’s every move,” he told BBC Sport.

“The former Juventus man was composed on the ball and timely in the tackle – and for a holding midfielder, he was very capable of hurting the opposition.

“Lemina is a top-four player in my opinion and fair play to Southampton for making the purchase. Why he is not playing for Liverpool or Arsenal is a mystery to me.”

While Southampton fans will be delighted that Lemina appears to have taken no time at all to adapt to the Premier League, they will probably be hoping that his form goes under the radar if he continues to impress.

The Saints have had to cope with their best players being linked with moves away in almost every summer window since their return to the Premier League – and occasionally before that, with the likes of Gareth Bale and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – and based on his displays so far, it would hardly be a surprise if Lemina is the latest key man to be linked with a move away come next summer.