Pablo Longoria’s (and Medhi Benatia’s) OM have struck hard in recent days by recruiting Mason Greenwood and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in the Premier League, for 26 million euros and 13.5 million euros respectively. Last year, the Spanish president of the Phocéens had dipped into the Championship by bringing in two Senegalese internationals, Iliman Ndiaye and Ismaïla Sarr. Two players who have disappointed and who do not have the chance to play a second season with the Vélodrome residents.
After the sale of Ndiaye to Everton, it is Sarr who will return to England. The right winger revealed at FC Metz, 26 years old, had been in agreement for a while with the leaders of Crystal Palace and the two clubs finally finalized a transaction amounting to 14 million euros plus one million in bonuses, as well as a percentage on a future sale from the Eagles, as indicated by the Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano on Tuesday evening.
OM is doing well
In these two transfers, Longoria managed to cover his costs despite the complicated season of the two attackers. Better still, Iliman Ndiaye had been recruited for 17 million euros and was resold for 18, while Ismaïla Sarr had been bought for 13 and could bring in 15. Pau Lopez, Jonathan Clauss and Konrad De la Fuente are leaving, respectively for Como, Nice and Lausanne, while Chancel Mbemba, Samuel Gigot, Jordan Amavi and Jordan Veretout are on the transfer list.
OM also recruited central defender Lilian Brassier from Stade Brestois (loan with obligation to buy of 12 million euros) as well as central midfielder Ismaël Koné from Watford (for 12 million euros). The rest of the recruitment (a goalkeeper, a right-back, an attacking midfielder, a center forward) could offer a quality squad to Roberto De Zerbi, the Italian strategist who decided to continue his career in Marseille despite the absence of a European Cup to play.
