OM: Aguerd, the Rock Who Brings Calm to the Vélodrome

Nayef Aguerd has joined Olympique de Marseille from West Ham. The 29-year-old Moroccan has signed a contract through 2030. The transfer fee is estimated at around €21–23 million, according to consistent reports at the start of this week. Last season, the defender was coming off a solid loan spell at Real Sociedad, before the final agreement between OM and the Hammers. 

Behind the scenes, the board pushed hard to lock down the deal and convince the player of the project. Mehdi Benatia notably played a significant role in the talks to finalize the arrival of a long-awaited defensive leader.

Player profile: a left-footer who commands and builds play

Aguerd is, first and foremost, a clear profile: big frame, strong in the air, a reliable left foot to break lines and find the channels. But his real fuel is anticipation. Trained in Morocco, he switched from attacking midfield to the heart of defense very early, thanks to his game intelligence and analytical sense. “His move from playmaker to center-back? It was him, his quick mind, that paved the way,” recalls Nasser Larguet, former director of OM’s academy and a keen connoisseur of Moroccan football. 

Without being the fastest in the world, Aguerd is rarely caught in behind: positioning, reading, a clean first intervention. In build-up, his left peg provides variety: diagonals to the far-side winger, drilled passes between the lines, or simply a clean outlet to relieve the press. A repertoire honed in Ligue 1 (Dijon, Rennes), confirmed in the Premier League, then in La Liga with Real Sociedad.

Why this matters for OM

Because the Vélodrome needs assurances at the back. A natural left-sided center-back, capable of guiding the line and stringing together the first passes under pressure, is an essential building block of the project. In a team that wants to play out quickly and cleanly, Aguerd brings leadership, a voice, and distribution that gets the whole block moving in the right direction.

His international experience matters too: Europe, big occasions, managing difficult spells… This isn’t a gamble, it’s a cornerstone. And in Marseille, they know the value of a calming defender: when OM wins its duels, the Vélodrome sings louder and the team plays twenty meters higher. The expected impact? Less jitters on crosses and second balls, more confidence to play out short, and a real threat on attacking set pieces.

Finally, the timing is perfect: at this stage of the season, they needed an immediately ready leader, not a prospect. Long contract, significant but measured investment for a projected starter: the sporting and financial logic is coherent.

Larguet’s seal of approval, the fans’ expectations

Nasser Larguet is full of praise: beyond the physique, he highlights an “extremely high-level analytical capacity” in Aguerd, that ability to scan the opponent and position himself a beat ahead of the others. This testimony, from a coach who saw him switch to the position, carries weight and matches what we see on the pitch. 

Officially, West Ham has confirmed the permanent transfer. In Marseille, the deal through 2030 has been reported by numerous local and national outlets. The first reactions in the OM community praise his experience, his left-footed distribution, and the idea of a leader to marshal the back line — exactly the profile that’s been requested for months. 

A leader to raise everyone

Aguerd is coming in to hold the fort. Not a name for show, a player to change the day-to-day: defend better, build out better, breathe easier. Marseille needed a left-sided center-back who talks and sees things early. The Moroccan ticks those boxes.

Over to you, fans: you were waiting for that defender who steadies things and starts moves, weren’t you? Tell us what you expect from Aguerd at the Vélodrome. And above all, see you very soon: we can’t wait to see him weld the defense together… and set off the roar of the Virage end.