Nayef Aguerd joined Olympique de Marseille in a discreet atmosphere, surrounded by friends and club members, marking an important stage in OM’s mercato which ends tonight. At the same time, the club is still working on the transfer of Oleksandr Zinchenko, despite the upcoming arrival of Emerson Palmieri. OM’s interest in Zinchenko has been constant since the end of August, and although an agreement is under way, the player’s high salary represents a major obstacle. Zinchenko’s contractual situation, which came to an end in 2026, made him particularly attractive to OM.

In parallel with these negotiations, OM reached agreement with West Ham on the arrival of Emerson Palmieri, who arrived in Marignane late last night for a two-year contract with an option for an additional year. This recruit seems difficult to justify given the current strength of the club, which already includes versatile players such as Ulisses Garcia and Facundo Medina capable of holding this position. However, another major issue has just passed: the deal with Lutsharel Geertruida was broken, the Dutch player not joining OM despite a real enthusiasm from the fans.

This setback, which occurred at a crucial moment in the mercato, obliges OM to accelerate its research to strengthen its defence. Pablo Longoria and his team must now turn to other avenues to meet this need, before the official closing of the transfer market. Although failure with Geertruida does not challenge OM’s aggressive strategy, it leaves a bitter taste in a mercato already rich in twists. The club remains in search of the perfect blow to strengthen its team before the end of the season.