Olympique de Marseille is preparing for the 2022 winter transfer window.5 After a summer of ambitious recruitments, the Marseille club, led by Pablo Longoria and Mehdi Benatia, finds itself faced with a financial imperative: reducing its payroll. According to Mohamed Toubache-Ter, this need for “degreasing” should lead to rapid departures from the start of the transfer window.
These adjustments will not only concern players lacking playing time, but also players deemed “undesirable” by Marseille management. In his analysis, Toubache-Ter emphasizes that OM will absolutely have to reduce its payroll to meet the club's financial requirements. The departure of 2 or 3 players from January is planned to reduce the budget. These players will mainly be those who no longer appear in the plans of Roberto DeZerbi and which weigh heavily on Marseille's finances. These departures will not only reduce the payroll but also free up space in the workforce for targeted reinforcements.
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Reduce fat to have room for maneuver on the payroll
Alongside this reduction in the workforce, OM should focus on its defensive sector. Mohamed Toubache-Ter specifies that Marseille leaders are fully aware of the flaws in this area and wish to strengthen this line from the January transfer window. At the microphone of RMC Sport, Medhi Benatia spoke about the winter transfer window: “We will take stock of the upcoming transfer window. When we see the goals we score, they are gifts. We can change a lot of things. The defenders who arrived during the transfer window are high quality players. If we believed it three months ago, we still believe it today. (…) When you have 3 or 4 players who are not playing at their best level, we have the impression that everything has to be changed. We have very important matches coming up. We can always look at how to strengthen the team. It will be done. The only idea I have is the matches that are coming up. Afterwards, we'll see what we can do. » Mbemba is at the top of the list of possible starters, what about players like Harit, Kondogbia or even Meité…
In summary, OM's winter transfer window will be crucial for the club's immediate future. Between necessary downsizing and strategic reinforcement in defense, Pablo Longoria and Mehdi Benatia will have to succeed in adjusting their squad to remain competitive in Ligue 1.
