There was a time when the evocation of a German international in the viewfinder of Olympique de Marseille would have ignited the Canebière. And this summer, it was the name of Leroy Sané that appeared in Marseille radars. According to the echoes that circulated, OM emissaries surveyed the player's entourage, freshly released by Bayern Munich. But despite the interest and the first contact, the winger would not be thrilled by the idea of joining Ligue 1. Worse: Sané would clearly have other priorities … including a club which finished 17th in the Premier League this season.
Because depending on Sky DeutschlandPini Zahavi, new player's new agent, offered his services to Tottenham. And despite their sluggish season in the league, the Spurs remain in Sané's little papers. It must be said that the London club, although in difficulty, has just won the Europa League and will therefore compete in the next Champions League. An important data for the German international, which favors European visibility to the reconstruction of a Marseille project. And Tottenham, with its European titles (four in all in its history), retains a certain prestige.
A wind from Germany on OM: Sané says no
This choice may surprise, but it is also explained in the past of Sané. The former Manchester City player has an excellent memory of the Premier League. His explosiveness and his style made wonder under Pep Guardiola, and a return to a championship he knows well could revive his career after a less successful season in Bavaria. At 28, Sané wishes a last big challenge, but in an environment where he does not start from zero. London offers him this, not Marseille.
OM Recorded: Leroy Sané chooses Tottenham
For Olympian supporters, this situation is a cruel reminder: the major European stars are rarely inclined to engage in a project in Ligue 1, especially in a club that has not won anything for thirteen years. The Germans in particular – after the golden age of the Klinsmann, Voller or Bierhoff in the 90s – seem to have deserted the French landscape. OM, despite its aura, struggles to attract these profiles.
This Sané preference is not a betrayal, but it reveals a trend. The French championship, apart from PSG, little attracts the major stars of Bundesliga. OM, however ambitious on the market, comes up against fierce competition and an image still insufficiently valued in Europe. As long as the club has not solidified its place among the continental tenors, this kind of disillusionment may repeat itself.
