While he appears as the boss of the Marseille defense, Chancel Mbemba arouses envy. In particular in Saudi Arabia, in contact with the entourage of the central defender.
William Saliba returned to Arsenal, Olympique de Marseille found a new rock in defense last summer. Because if the Eric Bailly experiment turned into a fiasco, Chancel Mbemba was indeed the expected good pickaxe. Landed free after four seasons at FC Porto, the Congolese international chained good performances within the Olympian defense, including a masterclass in the first leg against PSG. So much so that he received the Marc-Vivien Foé trophy for the best African player in Ligue 1.
The other side of the coin for the Olympian club, its good performances with the Ciel et Blancs attracted attention. Especially in Saudi Arabia. According to Foot Mercato, the Saudi emissaries would have come into contact with the player’s entourage. But if the latter does not close the door to exile in the Gulf, his financial claims have cooled the Saudi camp. While the generosity in this area of Saudi Pro League clubs is well established, these demands would be “incompatible” with the offer made by Saudi representatives.
Another obstacle stands in the way of Saudi Arabia: OM would be firmly opposed to the departure of their central defender, under contract until June 2025. The Marseille leaders even consider him untransferable and Marcelino, who arrived at the beginning of the month, is on the same line as his management, about the one he too considers the boss of the Marseille defense.
