Mario Lemina: Former Juventus and Wolves midfielder linked with Basaksehir move

Gabon international Mario Lemina, currently without a club after leaving Galatasaray, is being linked with a move to Turkish Super Lig side Basaksehir. The 32-year-old defensive midfielder, who also holds French nationality, is a free agent and would not command a transfer fee, with his market value recently listed at around €4.5m.

Lemina departed Galatasaray at the start of July after helping the Istanbul club to back-to-back Turkish league titles in 2024-25 and 2025-26, as well as a Turkish Cup win in 2024-25. A return to the Super Lig with Basaksehir would therefore keep him in a familiar environment, having also represented Galatasaray on loan earlier in his career before rejoining them permanently from Wolves in February 2025.

Before his latest spell in Turkey, Lemina built a substantial body of work in Europe’s major leagues, including 145 Premier League appearances with Southampton, Fulham and Wolves, and 101 Ligue 1 outings across his time at Lorient, Marseille and Nice. He also featured 29 times in Serie A with Juventus, where he won two Italian league titles, two Coppa Italia crowns and was part of the side that finished Champions League runners-up in 2016-17.

Lemina’s experience in the Champions League and at the top end of European competitions, combined with his recent domestic success in Turkey, is understood to be central to Basaksehir’s interest as they look to reinforce their midfield with a proven, title-winning presence. For now, the Libreville-born midfielder remains a free agent following the expiry of his deal at Galatasaray on 1 July 2026.