Olympique de Marseille has not lost time to accelerate its transfer window. After having formalized the arrival of Angel Gomes, the Marseille club today announces a second defense weight reinforcement, thus validating the will of Roberto de Zerbi and Medhi Benatia to rebuild a more solid and younger rear base. A new player, promised to an important role, has just committed for four years with OM.
This player is CJ Egan-Riley, a young 22-year-old English central defender. If the club has not yet formalized the operation when writing these lines, everything is about to be finalized, according to RMC Sport. The player has passed his medical examination and will initial his contract in the coming hours. Despite a last-minute offensive by West Ham, seduced by the speech of the duo of Zerbi-Benatia, Egan-Riley chose Marseille. A nice blow for OM … and a strong symbol: with it, the club now has four English players in its professional workforce, a record for a French club.
CJ Egan-Riley, the second Marseille bet
Trained at Manchester City, Egan-Riley ticks all the boxes of the modern defender: solid in duels, intelligent in his placements and above all, excellent raising. His last season with Burnley (43 games, 3705 minutes) saw him impose himself as a framework for a defense that has only conceded 16 goals in Championship. He was also appointed to the typical team of the season, alongside Maxime Estève, with whom he shared the locker room … and sometimes the car.
CJ Egan-Riley says yes to OM, despite West Ham
His choice to come to Marseille is also explained by real tactical compatibility with the game advocated by De Zerbi, very close to the idea of that of Guardiola, which he knew in City. The prospect of competing in the Champions League has also weighed heavily against the interested English clubs.
This recruitment is part of a global reconstruction plan. OM wants young players ready to explode… and CJ Egan-Riley seems to check all the boxes.
