Galatasaray have taken Mario Lemina on loan for the remainder of the 2019-20 season, Southampton have confirmed.
The Gabon international has made 52 appearances in all competitions since joining the Saints from Juventus in 2017.
Lemina had not featured in any of Southampton’s first four Premier League matches to start the new season, with manager Ralph Hasenhuttl primarily opting for James Ward-Prowse, Oriol Romeu and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg instead, whilst summer signing Moussa Djenepo has also featured.
The 26-year-old will have Champions League football to look forward to this season as Galatasaray will compete in Group A alongside Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid and Club Brugge. Lemina has previously played in the competition with both Juventus and Marseille.
Galatasaray are the defending Turkish Super Lig champions and Fatih Terim’s side have the likes of Ryan Babel, Fernando Muslera, Jean Michael Seri, Steven Nzonzi and Sofiane Feghouli in their squad.
As for Southampton, they narrowly avoided relegation last season and headed into the new campaign among the bookmakers’ favourites. After starting with back-to-back defeats they have taken four points from their last two games.
Southampton held Manchester United to a 1-1 draw at St Mary’s on Saturday, after winning 2-0 at Brighton & Hove Albion the previous weekend. Hasenhuttl’s side travel to newly-promoted Sheffield United after the international break on Saturday 14 September.
