Marseilles (AFP)
With its hyperactive president Pablo Longoria, Marseille struck early and hard on the transfer market;
Coach Jorge Sampaoli must now convert this wind of hope into concrete renewal for his first full season at OM, opposed Thursday to Servette Geneva in a friendly.
The Provencal club does not have the means to make a clean sweep but it is working to turn the page of a gloomy season, between disastrous campaign in the Champions League, fifth place almost unexpected in Ligue 1 and strong internal shocks: the center training invaded, coach André Villas-Boas gone, Jacques-Henri Eyraud sidelined.
The former president, hated by the supporters, was replaced along the way by the Spanish sporting director Longoria, already perceived at 35 as an unparalleled talent scout, multilingual negotiator, keen on data and master in the art of financial arrangements.
With its limited resources, OM managed in record time to attract several promising players this summer in the form of a loan.
In addition to French Arsenal midfielder Mattéo Guendouzi (22), Turkish winger Cengiz Ünder (23) and Spanish goalkeeper Pau Lopez (26) have landed from AS Roma.
Presented as "dynamic, technical, follower of one against one with a faculty of offensive percussion", Ünder is a bet of 500,000 euros, that is to say the maximum "variable consideration" to which the loan is matched, according to the club giallorosso.
- Departures, without compensation -
The agreement also provides for the possibility of a "definitive purchase obligation for 8.4 million euros", according to Roma.
The OM of American owner Frank McCourt has already taken out the checkbook during the offseason to recruit Argentine defender Leonardo Balerdi (22), already on loan last season by Borussia Dortmund, American winger Konrad De la Fuente ( 20 years Friday), who played with the reserve of FC Barcelona, the Brazilian central defender Luan Peres (26) from Santos and, above all, the Brazilian midfielder Gerson.
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At 24, the former idol of Flamengo supporters, who nicknamed him "Coringa" (the Joker), represents one of the biggest hits of the Longoria era.
Not a little proud, the young leader also presented the slender and very technical midfielder as "the greatest Brazilian talent of his generation".
Sunday, for his first appearance in the blue and white jersey, the flagship rookie showed great promises in a friendly match against Sète (2-1), a National 1 team: he obtained a penalty and scored a goal , refused for offside.
OM's finances are still red, after the failure of the broadcaster Mediapro and the drying up of the ticket office, but the Marseille club has managed to stretch around 20 million euros for this big catch, according to various media.
- Supervision of the wage bill -
Closely watched by the DNCG, financial policeman who imposed on it a "supervision of the wage bill and transfer allowances", Marseille can still be active on the transfer market "because we have few players under contract" , Longoria explained.
For the time being, the Marseille club has shed the big salaries of Florian Thauvin, who left at the end of his contract for the Tigers, in Mexico, and Kevin Strootman loaned to Cagliari, in Serie A. Goalkeeper Yohann Pelé, the defender Japanese Hiroki Sakai, midfielder Saïf-Eddine Khaoui and striker Valère Germain also left.
However, this does not ensure any inflow of money.
As for the young people most likely to bring back some cash, Boubacar Kamara and Duje Caleta-Car, announced as starters, they are still there.
The work of next season, with the Europa League in sight, is in any case well advanced.
Sampaoli will have the opportunity to prepare it on Thursday (9 p.m.) against Servette in Fos-sur-mer, before oppositions against Braga and Benfica in Portugal, then two last friendly matches at the end of July against Saint-Étienne and the Spaniards of Villarreal.
© 2021 AFP