OM Scrutinizing Turkey: Alexander Djiku on the Fires of the Fortress

As the summer mercato approaches, the Olympique de Marseille is stepping up its research to strengthen its defensive sector. A new rumour from Turkey highlights the interest of the Phocean club in Ghana’s central defender, Alexander Djiku. According to information from the Turkish mediaNTV, OM checked the name of the player, currently under contract with Fenerbahçe, in order to consolidate his central defence this summer.

Alexander Djiku, aged 30, already has a solid experience in Ligue 1, notably with Strasbourg and Bastia. He joined Fenerbahçe in the summer of 2023. Its athletic qualities, its sense of placement and its ability to re-launch properly please many European clubs, including, of course, Marseilles.

OM particularly appreciates the player’s versatility (it can evolve in a defence of 3 or 4) and its tactical maturity, acquired over the seasons in France and Turkey.

In a context of turbulent season for OM, marked by chronic instability in defence and the accumulation of absences in this area, several observers question the choices of Roberto De Zerbi. Analyst Mourad Aerts, during a program Débat Foot Marseille, compared the current situation with that of Marcelo Bielsa and André Villas-Boas. “With Bielsa and Villas-Boas, what happened? These two coaches did not have large numbers in defence,” he recalled. “Already Bielsa had returned to Fanni, who was in the loft. We could do the parallel with Mbemba.”

Aerts then stressed the importance of exploiting internal resources, especially young players. “Who played central defender on Bielsa? There was Aloe, Sparagna, Andonian! Maybe they were young people who weren’t ready, but you said, “I’m going to train them.” He also praised André Villas-Boas’ similar attitude: “He made Perrin play. They may not be exceptional talents, except that they are in your staff, you shape them and make them play when you need them.”

According to Aerts, this strategy was not followed by the current Olympian staff: “That, you didn’t either. There are still solutions to a clear problem.”

The conclusion is cautious but lucid: “We will see at the end: if OM qualifies for the Champions League, the objective will be achieved.” Still in the race for a place on the podium, OM will have to quickly correct its defensive gaps to hope to finish the season in beauty.