African forward in Marseille for 25 million

Paris Saint-Germain has dominated French football since becoming a Qatari state project in 2011, but several other clubs have managed to win trophies in cup competitions during that time (Bordeaux, Saint-Étienne, Guingamp, Rennes, Strasbourg, Lyon, Nantes, Toulouse), while Montpellier, Monaco, and Lille have even claimed Ligue 1 titles. However, it seems almost unbelievable that Olympique de Marseille has been without a single trophy since 2012. The reason for this might be evident in the club’s approach during the final days of the January transfer window.

About ten days ago, the 1993 European champions sold promising forward Elye Wahi to Eintracht Frankfurt for a fixed fee of around 26 million euros, plus potential bonuses. Now, they have reinvested nearly all of that money into signing a striker who has scored only three goals in 19 Ligue 1 matches this season. Marseille has spent 25 million to acquire Algerian forward Amine Gouiri from Rennes as Wahi’s replacement.

French media report that 25-years-old Gouiri was a specific request from manager Roberto De Zerbi, which is evident from the Italian coach’s comments:

"He is a strong player who could be useful, but he is still very young. It would be a great signing. I don’t know if there will be more movement in the transfer window—I hope so. We are working toward a common goal with a unified vision," De Zerbi said diplomatically.

Marseille get Nice reality check: Greenwood and Co. are 'too green' for the title

Amine Gouiri will become one of the six most expensive signings in Marseille’s history. The record remains with Portuguese striker Vitinha, who was bought from Braga in 2022 for 32 million. Other big signings include Dimitri Payet (29.3 million), Mason Greenwood (26 million), and both Elye Wahi and Kevin Strootman (25 million each). For reference, Marseille purchased Wahi from Lens last June and has now sold him to the Bundesliga for just 1 million more. Marseille’s transfer moves don’t seem to reflect a championship-winning strategy, which explains why the club has gone nearly 15 years without a trophy.

LIGUE 1 - MATCHDAY 20

Friday

Montpellier - Lens 0-2 (0-1)

/Nzola 1, Agbonifo 61/

Saturday

19.00: (7.00) Brest (4.50) PSG (1.45)

21.00: (1.32) Monaco (5.60) Auxerre (8.50)

23.05: (1.38) Lille (4.70) Saint-Etienne (8.50)

Sunday

17.00: (2.55) Toulouse (3.30) Nice (2.80)

19.15: (2.00) Angers (3.35) Le Havre (4.00)

19.15: (2.20) Reims (3.45) Nantes (3.60)

19.15: (2.15) Rennes (3.50) Strasbourg (3.60)

22.45: (2.10) Olympique Marseille (3.60) Olympique Lyon (3.60)

***odds are subject to change***