Lemina elated at dream Marseille move
New Marseille signing Mario Lemina says he is "living a dream" following his deadline-day move from Lorient.
Lemina joined last season's Ligue 1 runners-up on Monday, signing a five-year contract with the club.
He cost Marseille an initial fee of €5million, with add-ons included, while Rafidine Abdullah and Larry Azouni went the other way, the latter on loan.
The move represents a significant breakthrough for Lemina, who only made his professional debut in January this year.
But the 20-year-old – who helped France to victory in the FIFA Under-20 World Cup this year – is highly rated and could prove to be a bargain buy for Marseille going forward.
"I am living a dream," Lemina told Marseille's official TV station.
"I knew that OM (Olympique Marseille) had been following me for a while but I had no new information on them recently.
"I only found out at the last minute that OM had made an offer to my club, and I had no hesitation."
Lemina is hopeful that his meteoric rise will continue and feels he will benefit greatly from training and playing with other members of Marseille's squad.
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"I have only really been a professional for eight months and it is true that I have progressed quickly. I hope it continues like that," he said.
"My objective for this season is to make major progress by working with players like Alaixys Romao, (Andre-Pierre) Gignac, (Mathieu) Valbuena, who are full internationals.
"I think I still have a lot of room for improvement, and hopefully I can make a few appearances in the first team too."
Marseille were one of the busiest Ligue 1 sides on the transfer deadline day, as they also signed Lille star Florian Thauvin.