Actively looking for reinforcements in the corridors, Olympique de Marseille is multiplying avenues to find its future right piston. According to our information, the Marseille club has fallen under the spell of a well-known profile in our championship: Saël Kumbedi. The former French international hopeful is particularly appreciated by Grégory Lorenzi, who saw him evolve and grow when the player wore the colors of Olympique Lyonnais. The former sporting director of Brest would welcome the arrival of the young defender on the Canebière to energize the Marseille right lane.
Having left Lyon in the summer of 2024 to try the adventure in the Bundesliga, the 21-year-old full-back is nevertheless coming out of a delicate 2025-2026 exercise on a collective level. Embarked on the relegation of Wolfsburg, he nevertheless managed to save the furniture on an individual basis. Author of 5 assists in 27 championship matches, Kumbedi impressed with his defensive aggressiveness and his offensive contribution. Despite his young age, the player already has a solid background with nearly 100 professional matches under his belt, a valuable experience which does not leave the Olympian management indifferent.
A file far from simple at the financial level
Unsurprisingly, remaining in the German second division appears highly unlikely for a player of his caliber. Aware of the value of his player purchased for almost 9 million euros, Wolfsburg granted him an exit voucher, attracting strong competition across Europe. As we revealed to you at the beginning of July, clubs like Lazio, AS Roma, FC Porto and Feyenoord Rotterdam have already positioned themselves. But the entry of OM redistributes the cards and offers an attractive option of repatriation to Ligue 1 for the native of Stains.
It now remains to assess the financial feasibility of such an operation. The main crux of the matter lies in the nature of the deal: Wolfsburg hopes to recover its funds through a direct transfer, while OM is currently favoring opportunities in the form of loans or free players. Grégory Lorenzi and the Marseille leaders will therefore have to show ingenuity in the negotiations if they want to get ahead of European competition and complete the arrival of Saël Kumbedi this summer.
