OM are coming out of a winter transfer window that was as dense as it was eventful, like a season that leaves no respite. In terms of arrivals, the Marseille club recorded the recruitments of Tochukwu Nnadi, Quinten Timber and Himad Abdelli, while offering the loan of Ethan Nwaneri, Arsenal nugget, for 1.5 million euros. An activity which places OM among the most active clubs of the winter, only Lyon having done more with five recruits, even if Martín Satriano only made a brief stint before leaving for Getafe. This transfer window took place in a particularly difficult context with the recent elimination in the Champions League, immense frustration after the comeback conceded against Paris FC (2-2) this weekend at Jean-Bouin, and an internal climate under tension. The demotion of Murillo to the reserve, the altercation between Kondogbia and Vermeeren, the threat of resignation from Roberto De Zerbi after Bruges, followed by a long night meeting with Medhi Benatia and Pablo Longoria, illustrated a period of turbulence where each decision counted double. In this turbulent landscape, a common thread comes back insistently: the increasingly close links between OM and Italy, and more particularly with Sassuolo.
For several seasons, Serie A has become a preferred land of passage for the Marseille club, whether to recruit or to sell. In terms of permanent departures, OM notably concluded the sale of Robinio Vaz to AS Rome, but also those of Darryl Bakola and Ismaël Koné, both bound for Sassuolo for €10 million each. Loans with a purchase option have also marked this transalpine relationship with the loan from Ulisses Garcia, whose purchase option is set at €4 million, from the Neroverdi. As a reminder, OM have increased sales to Italy in recent years: Derek Cornelius and Faris Moumbagna to Cremonese, Ruslan Malinovskyi, Kevin Strootman and Vitinha to Genoa, Sead Kolašinac to Atalanta, Luis Henrique to Inter, Jonathan Rowe to Bologna, Nemanja Radonjic to Torino, Samuel Gigot and Mattéo Guendouzi to Lazio, without forgetting Arkadiusz Milik at Juventus, or the loan of Pol Lirola to Frosinone. Movements which reinforced this Italian habit, while Maxime Lopez, sold to Sassuolo in 2020, already symbolized this bridge during the Longoria era.
Three new sales this winter
This winter, Sassuolo once again established itself as a privileged, almost natural, interlocutor to finalize certain Marseille files. The sales of Bakola, Garcia and Koné crystallized this relationship. In the case of Ismaël Koné, the link was already firmly established. Previously loaned, the midfielder convinced the Italian leaders, who did not hesitate to exercise the purchase option as soon as the transfer window opened. Same logic for Ulisses Garcia, a profile appreciated for his versatility and experience, in a financially controlled operation. For OM, these transactions made it possible to free up payroll, secure immediate liquidity and continue a workforce rebalancing that has become necessary in a fragile sporting context. For Sassuolo, it was a question of strengthening its project with players already followed, known, and able to be integrated without major risk. A win-win that’s starting to feel like routine.
This impression of a friendly club owes nothing to chance and is based on very strong human and structural connections. The first name that stands out is obviously that of Roberto De Zerbi, former emblematic coach of Sassuolo, where he left his mark with his daring play and his ability to develop young people. The Italian technician still maintains a close relationship with President Giovanni Carnevali, a leader renowned for his firmness in business, but also for his very emotional functioning. Within the Marseille board, the presence of Giovanni Rossi, former sporting director and right-hand man of De Zerbi at Sassuolo at the time when Pablo Longoria was recruitment director, further strengthens these bridges. Added to this are Federico Balzaretti, an extremely respected figure in Italy, and Medhi Benatia, a former Juventus executive, whose transalpine network is dense and active. So many profiles who speak the same language, share the same references and facilitate rapid, often discreet, but effective negotiations.
Finally, Sassuolo has a particular identity which explains why these relationships persist beyond simple market opportunities. In this small town of 40,000 inhabitants (equivalent to Montélimar), the Neroverdi were founded in 1920. Having only become professional in 1969 before discovering Serie A for the first time in 2013 under the leadership of the Mapei group, the club has an atypical model of success. Behind this rise, two men: honorary president Carlo Rossi and above all Giovanni Carnevali, architect of a project based on stability, youth development and real proximity between managers, players and coaches. In this club, alumni remain close, relationships are cultivated over time, and trust often takes precedence over the short term. France has also occupied a special place for several years, with a long list of players who have passed through France: Jérémie Boga, Armand Laurienté, Grégoire Defrel, Maxime Lopez, Janis Antiste, Andrea Gravillon… So many examples which show that Sassuolo and OM now share much more than a simple history of transfers, but a real common culture of the transfer window.
