Orel Johnson Mangala (born 18 March 1998) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Ligue 1 club Lyon and the Belgium national team.
On 9 June 2017, Mangala signed a four-year contract with VfB Stuttgart.[4] On 8 August 2018, Mangala was loaned out to Hamburger SV without a purchase option until the end of the season.[5]
On 9 April 2021, Mangala extended his contract with VfB Stuttgart until June 2024.[6]
On 31 July 2022, it was announced that Mangala had joined Premier League side Nottingham Forest for an undisclosed fee, which was reported to be £12.7m.[7] Mangala made his debut for Forest as a substitute in the team's opening game of the 2022–23 Premier League season, a 2–0 loss at Newcastle United on 6 August.[8] He scored his first goal for the club in a 2–1 defeat to Leeds United on 4 April 2023.[9] He scored his second goal for the club in a 2-0 win over Aston Villa on 5 November 2023.
On 1 February 2024, Mangala joined Ligue 1 side Lyon on loan: it was reported the loan fee was €11.7m (£10m). That summer, the move was made permanent after Lyon exercised their permanent purchase option for €17.5m (£15m), with an additional €3.5M (£2m) available in potential bonuses.[10] The move was officially announced as permanent on 2 July 2024.[11]
On 30 August 2024, Mangala signed on loan for Everton on deadline day.[12]
Mangala was called up to the senior Belgium squad in March 2021.[13] He made his international debut in a 2–2 friendly draw with the Republic of Ireland on 26 March 2022.[14]
Mangala is of Congolese descent.[15]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| VfB Stuttgart II | 2017–18 | Regionalliga Südwest | 1 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||
| VfB Stuttgart | 2017–18 | Bundesliga | 20 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 21 | 0 | |
| 2018–19 | Bundesliga | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2019–20 | 2. Bundesliga | 29 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | 32 | 1 | ||
| 2020–21 | Bundesliga | 24 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | 27 | 1 | ||
| 2021–22 | Bundesliga | 28 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 29 | 1 | ||
| Total | 101 | 3 | 8 | 0 | — | 109 | 3 | |||
| Hamburger SV (loan) | 2018–19 | 2. Bundesliga | 29 | 0 | 5 | 1 | — | 34 | 1 | |
| Nottingham Forest | 2022–23 | Premier League | 27 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 31 | 1 |
| 2023–24 | Premier League | 20 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 1 | |
| Total | 47 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 53 | 2 | ||
| Lyon (loan) | 2023–24 | Ligue 1 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 0 | — | 12 | 2 | |
| Lyon | 2024–25 | Ligue 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||
| Everton (loan) | 2024–25 | Premier League | 19 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 21 | 1 |
| Career total | 206 | 8 | 20 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 231 | 9 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium | 2022 | 2 | 0 |
| 2023 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 11 | 0 | |
| Total | 23 | 0 | |
Lyon
Belgium U17
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
 | ||