Olympique de Marseille thought he was holding a great promise for the future. The Marseille club had positioned itself on Saimon Bouabré, a young attacking midfielder from AS Monaco, in order to strengthen its workforce with young talents with potential, as part of a project turned to Europe. But despite the interest of Roberto de Zerbi, who particularly appreciated the player's profile, the club could not materialize his approach.
The 19 -year -old, capable of evolving both on the left and in the axis of the attack, only played 96 minutes in Ligue 1 this season, spread over three appearances. This did not prevent AS Monaco from being firm on its requirements. One year before the end of his contract, the Principality club set a high price: 10 million euros. An amount deemed too high by OM, which undoubtedly hoped for a more flexible negotiation for a player still in development.
It was ultimately a Saudi Pro League club that made everyone agree. The Neom club, recently promoted to the Saudi first division, has responded favorably to Monegasque requests. Not only will the club pay 10 million euros, but it will also add 2 million euros in bonuses, as well as a resale clause whose percentage remains to be defined.
Romano confirms
The information was confirmed this Tuesday by Fabrizio Romano, who specifies that it is only missing the player's agreement to definitively finalize the transaction. A surprising choice for a young talent formed at AS Monaco, which will go far from Europe before they even really pierced.
For OM, it's a real blow. The Champions League project, put forward to attract the player, will not have been enough. By not being able to align with the requirements of Monaco, the Marseille club sees a promising target spinning.
