Belgium-DR Congo defensive midfielder Orel Mangala of Lyon is being linked with a summer move to Serie A side Bologna, with the deal currently rated at a tentative 27% likelihood according to reports in France and Italy.
Mangala, 28, is valued at around €9.00m and is understood to be on Bologna’s shortlist as they assess options to reinforce the base of their midfield. With no public record of a fixed contract expiry date at Lyon, speculation has grown that the former Belgium youth international could yet edge towards free-agent territory if an agreement over his long-term future in Ligue 1 is not found.
The right-footed midfielder, who wears the No 5 shirt at Lyon, has built a reputation as a screening presence in front of the back four. Standing at 1.78m and born in Brussels on 18 March 1998, Mangala qualifies for both Belgium and DR Congo and is seen as entering what many clubs regard as peak years for a holding midfielder.
Recent Ligue 1 outings have kept him firmly in the shop window, with scouts understood to have followed his performances closely, including Lyon’s early June fixtures as they pushed to secure their top-flight status. Mangala’s blend of positional discipline and ball circulation has been central to his usage in the French league.
The move, if it progresses, would see him swap Ligue 1 for Serie A, adding Italian top-flight experience to a CV that already includes spells in France and previous stints elsewhere in Europe earlier in his career.
While any agreement remains some way off and no formal announcement has been made by either club, a transfer to Bologna could offer Mangala a fresh tactical platform in Italy and potentially reshape the next phase of his career at the highest level.
