Olympique de Marseille has its first reinforcement of the winter transfer window. Luiz Felipe, Italian central defender free of any contract, is preparing to sign up with the Marseille club for a period of 18 months. Former player of Lazio Rome and Al-Ittihad, the 26-year-old is expected in Marseille on Monday to finalize the final details of his arrival.
A reinforcement of experience for the defense
Luiz Felipe made a name for himself in Serie A, where he played 144 matches for Lazio between 2016 and 2022. After a spell at Betis Sevilla, he joined Al-Ittihad in September 2023 for 22 million euros. However, his adventure in Saudi Arabia did not meet expectations: limited to just one appearance in the league this season, the defender asked to leave the club after an injury and being sidelined.
An urgent need in the defensive sector
The arrival of Luiz Felipe comes in a context where OM is seeking to solidify its central hinge. Lilian Brassier, although recruited this summer, is struggling to convince and recently lost his starting place. With his international experience and his versatile player profile, Luiz Felipe could quickly establish himself in the squad led by Roberto De Zerbi, in the fight for qualification in the Champions League.
-Sunday, OM faces Le Havre for the 16th day of Ligue 1, hoping to maintain its second place behind a dominating PSG. The rapid integration of Luiz Felipe could prove decisive for the rest of the season.
Supporter of En Avant de Guingamp, the best of the Breton clubs, I prefer to meet Yannis Salibur, Cristophe Kerbrat or Jeremy Sorbon rather than Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi or Sergio Ramos.
