Mario René Junior Lemina

Mario René Junior Lemina is a Gabonese defensive midfielder born in Libreville on 1 September 1993. He developed in France with ES Nanterre, FC Rueil-Malmaison and AF Garenne-Colombes before entering Lorient’s academy at 15. Lemina broke into Lorient’s first team during the 2012–13 season and moved to Marseille in 2013. At Marseille, he worked under Marcelo Bielsa and occasionally played as a centre-back in a three-man defence. Juventus signed Lemina on loan in 2015 before making the move permanent, and he won two Serie A titles and two Coppa Italia trophies in Turin. He later joined Southampton, with loan spells at Galatasaray and Fulham, before signing for Wolves in January 2023. Lemina returned to Galatasaray in February 2025, while internationally he won the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup with France before switching to represent Gabon in 2015.