Present this Thursday at a press conference as part of the presentation of left-back Ulisses Garcia, one of the three Marseille recruits this January from Young Boys of Bern, Pablo Longoria provided an update on the last sprint of this transfer window.
“You lose a player, you have to replace him and at the same time, we considered it necessary to add a player with a different defensive profile.” By recording the sale of Renan Lodi to Al-Hilal for a nice check for 23 million and two bonuses, Longoria expresses the need for another left-back to provide Gattuso and his 3-5-2, and would have targeted several: “The reality is that we are working on three players. I can say there have been conversations between clubs about Merlin. The reality is also that the circumstances of the transfer window, especially at this time when there is no activity, make operations difficult.
At the top of the list, Quentin Merlin has already given his agreement and is waiting for the signal from FC Nantes to arrive in the Marseille city. OM offered 10 million to the canaries to acquire the services of the 21-year-old defender, and will not go any further in the negotiations. After being tarnished by Stade Rennais on the Adrien Truffert file (a refusal to which the president echoed at the end of the quote), the Olympian club is hoping for the arrival of the Nantes player, and if it’s not him, that could be a veteran of the house who would make his return. Passed on the Canebière last season (2022/2023), Nuno Tavares is on the Marseille short-list. Loaned to Nottingham by Arsenal, he is plan B, reports the Team, alongside Brest player Bradley Locko, or Spaniard Angelino, also on loan from Leipzig to Galatasaray. Everyone is targeted, Olympique de Marseille does not lack ideas but will perhaps run out of time, the transfer window closing once January is over.
Asked if Villerreal was interested in Ismaïla Sarr, the Spaniard replied: “There is no official offer, a lot of rumors and informal conversations. He is a player who has important qualities, he is one of the players most penalized by the change of system. It is a situation that must be studied when there are possibilities, […] we are happy with Sarr’s level, we believe in his potential, but it is true that today’s circumstances are not not those for which he was recruited.” Even if he wants to be complimentary about his summer recruit, he does not intend to close the door to the departure of the former Watford man. This week, Revelo launched the rumor that would send the winger to join Marcelino, the coach who brought him to Marseille, to the yellow submarine.
Currently engaged with Senegal during the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations, Sarr could be sold if an interesting offer is presented to Marseille leaders, in the event of departure Sky Italia evokes discussions with Dortmund for the arrival of the 21-year-old American years old, Giovanni Reyna. But with less than 6 days until the end of the transfer window, we will have to speed up the pace if they want to close these files, the last week of this winter transfer window will be hectic and Pablo Longoria will have his work cut out for him.
