According to reports, French club Strasbourg is currently leading the race to sign Southampton striker Sekou Mara this summer.
Southampton has had a busy transfer window as they prepare for their return to the Premier League after just one season in the Championship. Following their relegation in 2023, the south coast club secured promotion by winning the play-off final.
Under the management of Russell Martin, Southampton has made over 10 new signings this summer, including permanent transfers, free agents, and loan deals. Notable recent arrivals include forward Cameron Archer, who joined from Aston Villa for £15 million, and Lesley Ugochukwu, who arrived on loan from Chelsea.
Mara ‘expected’ to complete Ligue 1 move
He joined Southampton in 2022
The *Daily Echo* reports that Southampton is in discussions with French club Strasbourg regarding the potential sale of Sekou Mara. The article suggests that the 22-year-old striker is expected to return to France, having initially joined Southampton from Bordeaux two years ago.
Another report indicates that Southampton could receive a fee of around £10 million for Mara’s transfer, which would allow them to roughly break even on the amount they paid for him in the summer of 2022.
Mara had stints at several youth academies in France, including Paris Saint-Germain, before joining Bordeaux in 2017. He made his senior debut for Bordeaux in 2021 and went on to make 36 first-team appearances before moving to Southampton. Although he initially struggled at St Mary’s, he was praised as “really exceptional” by manager Russell Martin last summer.
| Sekou Mara 2023/24 stats for Southampton in all competitions | |
|---|---|
| Stat: | |
| Appearances | 34 |
| Goals | 6 |
| Assists | 2 |
| Minutes played | 1,009 |
During his time at St Mary’s, Sekou Mara made only four league starts over two seasons, in 2022/23 and 2023/24, with most of his appearances coming as a substitute. He scored a total of eight goals across all competitions during this period. Mara initially signed a four-year contract when he joined Southampton in 2022, meaning he has two years left on his current deal.
Saints confirm Archer arrival
He joins from Premier League rivals Aston Villa
Mara’s potential departure from Southampton has been influenced by the arrival of Cameron Archer from Aston Villa. The Saints confirmed Archer’s signing on Friday, with the 22-year-old completing a £15 million transfer from Villa Park.
Archer, a product of Villa’s academy, made his senior debut in a Carabao Cup match in 2019 at just 17 years old. Last season, he played on loan at Sheffield United but returned to Villa earlier this summer before making a permanent move to Southampton, where he signed a four-year contract.
In the previous season, Archer made 33 appearances for Sheffield United in the Premier League, scoring four goals and providing one assist in a 2-2 draw against Chelsea in April. He was the third top scorer for the Blades, behind Ben Brereton Diaz, another new signing for Southampton, and Oli McBurnie.
GET MORE NEWS ON LIFESTYLEROOM.NET
Leave a Reply