There will be movement in Marseille this winter. In the direction of arrivals of course but also in the direction of departures.
OM will have to improvise, quickly and well. With the departures for the African Cup of Nations of Harit, Ounahi, Mbemba, Ndiaye, Sarr, Gueye, Mughe and Ngapandouetnbu, it is a decimated squad which will have to face the deadlines of January and February – especially since Morocco, Senegal and Cameroon concerned here – in addition to Mbemba’s DR Congo – have every chance of going far in the competition.
As much as possible, Pablo Longoria and his new right-hand man in the sports sector, Mehdi Benatia, will work in the coming days to strengthen the workforce. With the supervision of the payroll decreed by the DNCG. No question of doing crazy things therefore, despite high-sounding names already mentioned behind the scenes: those of SaĂŻd Benrahma (West Ham) or Suso (Sevilla FC) in particular.
Ounahi, already advanced contacts
Barring a miraculous operation or exceptional loan opportunity, OM will have to part ways with one or more players to compensate for their shortcomings this winter. The list of transferable elements – or even completely pushed towards the exit – is known: these are Vitinha, Ismaïla Sarr, Pape Gueye and Azzedine Ounahi – without forgetting a Luis Henrique returning from loan in Brazil and already being courted if the we believe Foot Mercato, which evokes a certain interest from Botafogo for the Auriverde winger, and even a potential offer of 6 million euros in preparation.
For the others, Azzedine Ounahi is perhaps the closest to the exit to date, he who since his transfer from Angers a year ago has struggled to confirm the promises glimpsed during his sublime World Cup with the Lions of the Atlas in December 2022. The Team announces already lively and advanced discussions between representatives of the 23-year-old midfielder and Saudi interlocutors. A resumption of contacts made last summer.
