Juventus signs Lemina from Marseille on permanent €9.5M deal

Juventus has opted to sign midfielder Mario Lemina on a permanent basis, paying an initial €9.5-million fee to pry the 22-year-old from Marseille.

Lemina joined the five-time Serie A champion in the summer on a season-long loan. The Bianconeri paid €500,000 to secure the temporary deal and the right to redeem the player, with April 30 the deadline for a final decision.

He is now tied to the Old Lady until June 2020. An initial €1 million will be added to the transfer sum if Lemina achieves certain performance-related bonuses.

(Courtesy: Juventus FC)

The Frenchman apparently made enough of an impact in the short time he has played this season. A knee injury limited Lemina to just 11 appearances across all competitions this season, but he acquitted himself well in a defensive role. With two goals to his name, scored against Atalanta and Napoli, Lemina has also proven his versatility.

"Over the course of his year with Juventus, Mario has developed into a multi-talented midfielder, able to launch attacks with the same level of excellence with which he defends, qualities that will continue to make him a highly valuable member of the Bianconeri midfield in the future," read a club statement.

Fresh off another Scudetto triumph, Juventus hosts relegation-threatened Carpi on Sunday. Lemina could make a second consecutive start for the first time since September.