The Olympique de Marseille experienced a particularly lively summer mercato, with 19 departures and 12 arrivals, demonstrating a desire to renew the workforce and to build on the future. The most notable arrival was Benjamin Pavard, French international defender of Inter Milan, who had committed himself to a paid loan with a purchase option of 15 million euros. This recruit is part of a strategy to strengthen the team, especially after the failure of leads to other defenders. OM also focused on stability by retaining key players such as Pol Lirola, Ruben Blanco and Neal Maupay, while asking themselves questions about potential competition in certain sectors, such as side and midfield.

OM’s mercato required a substantial financial investment of almost €90 million. These expenses include not only transfers, but also the definitive redemption of players already present last season, such as Rowe, Højbjerg and Maupay. Sales and overdrafts accounted for about €74 million, but this figure remains lower than the expenses incurred, highlighting the club’s significant financial effort to project itself towards the future. A major focus is OM’s commitment to provide €40 million to several players on loan for next season, regardless of the qualification for the Champions League, which represents a potential financial risk in the event of a sporty counterperformance.

In parallel to the transfer activity, Yann Gboho chose to stay in Toulouse FC, focusing on the regularity of his performances and the construction of a solid trajectory rather than a rush to a more prestigious club. This decision is seen as positive for Toulouse, guaranteeing the continuity of a growing sports project. OM, despite a lively mercato, must now manage an expanded and competitive workforce, while ensuring the distribution of roles and management of undesirable players to maintain the momentum created by this mercato XXL.