Mercato OM: Deal agreed for Pavard, a 2018 World Cup champion at the Vélodrome!

The bombshell is being confirmed: Benjamin Pavard is set to join Olympique de Marseille. According to Sky Italia, confirmed by Santi Aouna, OM and Inter Milan have reached an agreement for the transfer of the 2018 World Cup winner. And the player has already given his consent to don the Olympian shirt. With 24 hours to go before the transfer window closes, Pablo Longoria and Medhi Benatia are on the verge of pulling off a blockbuster move.

Pavard has said yes to OM

At 29, Benjamin Pavard had several options on the table. Courted by English and Italian clubs, he was ultimately won over by Marseille’s project. His desire to return to Ligue 1, at a club with unmatched passion, carried real weight. As Santi Aouna revealed, Pavard has agreed to join the Vélodrome, where he could quickly become the new leader of Roberto De Zerbi’s defense.

The agreement with Inter Milan

Longoria and Benatia conducted tough negotiations with Inter’s hierarchy. Sky Italia reports that an agreement was reached this Sunday evening. The deal will be a permanent transfer (no loan). The financial terms have not yet leaked, but OM have agreed to make a significant effort to secure the services of a player with a unique pedigree.

An impressive trophy haul

A product of Lille’s academy, Pavard broke out in the Bundesliga, first at Stuttgart then at Bayern Munich, with whom he won the 2020 Champions League, multiple Bundesligas and domestic cups. Transferred to Inter in 2023, he continued to rack up top-level experience, in Serie A as well as the Champions League. With France, he will forever be associated with the iconic goal he scored against Argentina at the 2018 World Cup in Russia — one of the finest in the national team’s history.

The perfect fit for OM

At OM, Pavard arrives to stabilize a backline that has struggled since the start of the season. His ability to play as the right-sided center-back in a pairing, as well as at right-back or wing-back, offers ideal versatility for Roberto De Zerbi. His clean build-up, vertical passing range and tactical intelligence fit perfectly with Marseille’s game model. With Nayef Aguerd, Emerson Palmieri and perhaps other last-minute additions, OM’s defense is moving up a level.

Team OM on fire

After Pogba to Monaco and Giroud to Lille, it’s now Pavard who could light up Ligue 1. OM, on the back of a totally crazy final stretch of the window, is about to write a bold new chapter in its history. The fans want just one thing now: to see Benjamin Pavard set foot on the Vélodrome pitch in white and blue.

Team OM: how do you rate this blockbuster move? Pavard, the future leader of Marseille’s defense?