Marseilles (AFP)

A major rookie in OM's summer transfer window at the express request of Jorge Sampaoli, Brazilian midfielder Gerson still seems to be limited in a team yet explosive and, before the reception of Lens on Sunday, the Argentine coach logically expects more of the neo-international.

At the end of August, Sampaoli had very quietly defended his midfielder, explaining a barely correct start to the season by a necessary "adaptation" to "a completely different football".

"What he did at Flamengo he can do here. The progress of the team, which is made up of many new players, should make him feel better. He will be better when there is a collective improvement." , he had assured after the second day of L1.

A month later, his OM, second in the championship, impresses and delights, but Gerson's performance remains rather lackluster.

At the press conference, the tone did not change, but the message quietly evolved.

"He recently became an international player and we are therefore expecting a player of this level with OM, a decisive player. He was also in his former club and if we asked for it, it is because we have seen qualities. And we are going to need the best version of this player who is very important to us, "said Sampaoli.

- Lack of gloss -

For now, this is not the case.

Never appalling nor ever remarkable, Gerson's performance remained within a fairly narrow spectrum, ranging from very neutral like Wednesday in Angers (0-0) to very solid, during the reception of Saint-Etienne (3-1) in particular.

Against Angers, the most optimistic saw a player constantly on the move and who loses very few balls, but the most skeptical will have noted that by taking so few risks, he could not lose many.

Gerson has just scored against Saint-Etienne, August 28, 2021 in Marseille Nicolas TUCAT AFP / Archives

Against the Greens, the former player of AS Rome had however convinced by the quality of his ball protection and the accuracy of his forward transmissions, for a record embellished by his first Marseille goal.

But in a midfielder in which almost all of the elements have been extremely efficient (Guendouzi, Kamara, Rongier ...), the whole lacks a bit of brilliance and sometimes recalls the Italian years of Gerson, when the great midfielder failed to win at Roma (2016-18) before playing a lackluster season at Fiorentina (2018-19).

"The first time I came to Europe, I was very young. But I learned a lot of things. Now I'm more mature, more aware of things. And I know exactly what I want", assured the Brazilian during his first press conference in Marseille.

- Profitable investment?

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"This passage helped me a lot. I came back to Brazil with different ideas. I evolved. I do not think that my passage in Italy was a mistake," he added.

During two years at Flamengo, Gerson indeed took on another dimension.

This earned him to be spotted by Sampaoli, who was then training in Santos and then at Atlético Mineiro, and to be described by Marseille President Pablo Longoria as "the greatest Brazilian talent of his generation".

Gerson under the Flamengo jersey, against Fluminense on May 22, 2021 in Rio de Janeiro MAURO PIMENTEL AFP / Archives

It must be said that to attract Gerson to OM and satisfy Sampaoli, the Spanish leader paid dearly, between 20 and 25 million euros, during a summer when he had to count his money.

Since then, Gerson has therefore become Brazilian international and the Marseille investment could prove profitable in the medium term.

In the shorter term, his new status implies increased expectations and complications for Sampaoli: at the next international break, the Brazilian will go with the Seleçao to face Venezuela, Colombia and Uruguay.

He will return on October 16, the day before the reception in Lorient.

© 2021 AFP