Tonight, William Saliba is about to live a crucial moment in his career: the defender, formerly in the colours of the Olympique de Marseille, will be holding with Arsenal against Real Madrid, as part of the quarter-final return of the Champions League. Formed in Saint-Étienne, then passed through OM during the 2021-2022 season, Saliba is faced with one of the most important challenges of her young sports career. Arsenal, with a brilliant 3-0 win on the lawns of the Emirates Stadium, presents himself with a significant advantage, but will have to be vigilant against a Real Madrid still able to reverse the course of a match. The strength of the Gunners’ defence, including Saliba’s remarkable performances since the start of the season, will be crucial to hope for a historic qualifying for the semifinals.

In parallel to these European challenges, the summer transfer market is on the horizon, and French clubs are intensifying their research. According to information relayed by ESPN Brazil and media Lance!, Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique de Marseille closely follow Ryan Francisco’s profile, an 18-year-old Brazilian attacker at São Paulo FC. This player, trained in Palmeiras and passing through SKA Brasil before joining São Paulo in 2022, joined the club’s youth teams before taking his first steps in the professional team in December 2024. Emissaries from several clubs, including OM, PSG and Montpellier, have been observed in a recent match, confirming the growing interest around this talented Brazilian international U17, whose agent is former player Fabiano.

Despite financial means potentially lower than those of the PSG, the Olympique de Marseille can rely on the strategy of its president, Pablo Longoria, and the flair of Medhi Benatia to identify and recruit promising young players. Ryan Francisco, estimated at EUR 4 million by the specialist website Transfermarkt and under contract until June 2028, is therefore attracting interest from several European clubs. Although no official offer has yet been transmitted to São Paulo FC, the future of this young striker may well be decided this summer, provided that the contenders succeed in convincing.