Mario Lemina completes move to Galatasaray from Wolves.

Mario Lemina, former Wolverhampton Wanderers captain, has joined Galatasaray on a permanent basis. The Athletic stated that Lemina was likely to join Galatasaray, with the Turkish transfer window open until February 11. Galatasaray announced that they have agreed on a €2.5 million fee to bring him to the club. Galatasaray initially attempted to take the 31-year-old midfielder on loan, but Wolves rejected the deal, and he has now joined the Super Lig side on a one-and-a-half-year contract with an option for another year. The central midfielder, Wolves’ reigning player of the season, informed the club in December that he wanted to leave after two years at Molineux, but head coach Vitor Pereira stated he changed his mind in January.

He drew interest from Saudi club Al Shabab, who made a formal approach to sign him, but their offer did not match Wolves’ valuation. Lemina had six months left on his contract, but Wolves had the option to extend it by another year. “All at Wolves would like to thank Mario for his efforts while at the club and wish him the best of luck in the future,” the statement added. His move to Turkey brings him back to Galatasaray, where he spent the 2019-20 season on loan and made 28 appearances. Lemina was a staple in the Wolves team when Gary O’Neil was head coach, starting 15 of the side’s opening 16 rounds of this season’s Premier League. He also featured 39 times across all competitions in 2023-24.

However, he was stripped of his Wolves captaincy in December after a post-match incident with Jarrod Bowen, teammates Nelson Semedo and Toti, and first-team coach Shaun Derry following his team’s defeat to West Ham United. Following Pereira’s hiring in December, Lemina appeared in only one of the Wolves’ eight Premier League matches. Wolves signed three players during the winter window: Emmanuel Agbadou, Marshall Munetsi, and Nasser Djiga. They play Blackburn Rovers in the FA Cup on Sunday.

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