Victim of a fractured kneecap last November, Valentin Rongier suffered a series of complications. The Olympique de Marseille midfielder has still not returned to competition. And despite the hope of a return at the start of the season, the managers no longer expect to see him at his best again.
Olympique de Marseille has its first signing of the summer. This Friday, the Marseille club announced an agreement with Watford for the transfer of Ismaël Koné. The Canadian midfielder is expected to cost around 12 million euros, an investment deemed essential internally. It is true that the Marseille midfield clearly showed its limits last season. It is also a sector that has already recorded the departure of Senegalese Pape Gueye at the end of his contract. And which could soon lose Jordan Veretout, who was not retained during the approach of the Qataris of Al-Duhail.
Finally, Olympique de Marseille is seriously starting to doubt Valentin Rongier. The problem is not his profile and even less his impeccable mentality. In the mind of the new coach Roberto De Zerbi, the captain is part of the plans. His departure is therefore not on the agenda. However, the former FC Nantes player has not played for almost eight months. During the draw against Lille (0-0) on November 4, the midfielder suffered a fractured kneecap.
The best Rongier, OM no longer believes in it
This injury should have allowed him to return during the second part of the season. But several complications kept him away from the field until the end of the exercise. Valentin Rongier hopes that his physical problems will spare him until the competition resumes. But even in the event of a return, the Olympian management doubts its ability to regain its best level, writes the newspaper L’Equipe this Saturday. This concern could represent a source of motivation for the Marseille executive, who had reached a milestone after noting the doubts of former coach Jorge Sampaoli in 2021.
