MARSEILLE: JUVENTUS EYE MARIO LEMINA, BUT OM UNWILLING TO SELL
After the high-profile departures of Dimitri Payet (to West Ham), Giannelli Imbula (to FC Porto), and Florian Thauvin (to Newcastle), Olympique de Marseille could be facing yet another exit before the close of the transfer window. This time, Mario Lemina is attracting serious interest — notably from Juventus.
The Italian giants are said to have tabled a €12 million offer for the 21-year-old midfielder, although this figure represents only a little more than half of what OM paid for him.
However, Lemina himself downplayed the rumors:
“Frankly, I would love to go to Juve, but OM has given me a lot, made me grow. I’m here, and as long as the coach needs me, I’m here. If it comes up one day… But right now, it’s just a rumor, it’s not true at all.”
Despite the speculation, OM’s management, particularly head coach Michel, is determined to retain the former France U21 international. Club president Vincent Labrune echoed that stance:
“In football, everything moves very quickly, of course, but you have to take your time. We have ambitions; in a month, we’ll certainly have a team better than today.”
He also hinted at a busy final week of the transfer window, promising new signings:
“We’ll obviously still be recruiting between now and the end of the market, in several positions, to meet the expectations of the city and our supporters.”
For now, Lemina remains a Marseille player — but his situation could still evolve rapidly in the coming days.
