The Left Flank Construction of the Defense

Brothers, another hot topic of this transfer window: the left-back position. On one side, we have our young Quentin Merlin, and on the other, a persistent rumor linking us to Ramy Bensebaini. And honestly, it’s a head-scratcher.

Let's start with Merlin. The kid, we bought him at a high price from Nantes a year and a half ago. He's young, he's got potential, a great left foot. But, to be honest, his season has been inconsistent. Moments of brilliance, yes, but also defensive lapses that have cost us dearly. We sense he’s still a bit green for the weight of the OM jersey and the pressure of the Vélodrome. Apparently, several clubs are interested (Rennes wanting him back, German clubs, English...). And the club wouldn’t be against a sale, but beware, not at any price. We're talking at least 15 million. Let’s not kid ourselves, we won’t sell him off cheaply.

And to replace him, who do we see coming in? Ramy Bensebaini. The Algerian from Dortmund. Now, we're completely changing gears. Goodbye young prospect, hello established player. Bensebaini brings experience. He's played in France, Germany, he has Champions League experience, he’s a seasoned international. He's a tougher defender one-on-one, more rugged than Merlin. A real warrior, a Fennec, and that kind of mentality speaks to us. Plus, he’s versatile, he can play in the center. That’s always a plus.

The odd thing in this story is the amount. The rumor talks of an OM offer of... 15 million euros. For a 29-year-old player, with two years left on his contract, whose value is estimated at 7 million by Transfermarkt after a complicated season in Dortmund. It seems enormous! Is it fake news or does De Zerbi absolutely want him? It’s unclear.

My feeling about this? I'm perplexed. Selling Merlin, a young prospect, for the same price we'd buy Bensebaini, an older player on the decline... Is it a good deal? We’d gain in experience and savvy, that’s for sure. We might lose in resale potential and maybe in cross quality. It’s a gamble. De Zerbi’s gamble, who perhaps wants more reliable and mature players to quickly implement his system. That’s understandable. But it remains a risky gamble. We're waiting to see how this file develops, but it’s one of the summer sagas, that’s for sure.