Only a small minus despite high expenses
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Olympique Marseille closed the transfer window this summer with only a small deficit – 4 million euros. That is a good deal considering the expenditure of over 85 million euros. The transfer window at OM was also notable because several key players were sold. The new coach Roberto de Zerbi has now admitted to the major changes.
Jordan Veretout left the club late, and before him, along with Jonathan Clauss, Pau López and Iliman Ndiaye, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, making five players who each made more than 40 competitive appearances last season. Aubameyang was the best goalscorer and top scorer (30 goals, 11 assists) and Clauss was the most successful assist provider with the second most goal involvements (5 + 12). The total revenue was 81 million euros.
After spending a total of 85 million euros on players such as Mason Greenwood, Elye Wahi and Ismaël Koné, the balance of -4 million euros remains the smallest deficit of all clubs worldwide that invested more than 80 million euros – with the exception of Atalanta Bergamo, which even managed a positive transfer balance despite spending almost 100 million euros.
“I experienced the transfer window actively, always informed, in contact with Pablo (Longoria), Medhi (Benatia, advisor), Giovanni (Rossi, sporting director),” de Zerbi told a small group of journalists on Monday (quoted via “RMC”). “I am very happy with the transfer window, both in terms of arrivals and departures. We made a lot of changes in a single transfer window and it is not easy to change so much. The situation is very different today.”
At least judging by the start of the season, the strategy under de Zerbi seems to be working for OM. After seven points from the first three games, only Paris Saint-Germain is ahead of the southern French team in the table. De Zerbi explained: “In terms of departures, I thought that many players had to go; whether Veretout, Clauss, López (on loan), they are all very good players. But OM needed a radical change” – after a disappointing eighth place at the end of last season.
