OM — Matt O’Riley, the playmaker on loan from Brighton to reignite the midfield

A reinforcement sealed in crunch time

Olympique de Marseille announced the arrival of Matt O’Riley (24) from Brighton & Hove Albion. The Danish attacking midfielder joins OM on a season-long loan, with no purchase option, to deepen a midfield seeking control and creativity. The deal was made official on September 2, at the end of a scorching transfer window on the Vélodrome side. 

In practical terms, the operation is simple: O’Riley is coming for 2025–26, full stop, with Brighton keeping control of the player’s future. Several outlets corroborated it during the day. 

Player profile — A cerebral 8/10, forward passing and high pressing

Trained at Fulham, breaking through at Celtic, then transferred to Brighton in 2024, O’Riley ticks the boxes of the modern midfielder: vision, vertical passing, set-piece quality (including penalties) and work rate in the press. Deployable as a playmaker (No. 10), a box-to-box midfielder (No. 8) and even in a double pivot, he brings passing angles and off-ball intelligence — exactly the kind of profile that smooths patterns and opens up the half-spaces.

His limits? Less comfortable in very high-intensity transition, streaky finishing, and a tendency to put pressure on himself in the most volcanic environments. In other words: a player who can elevate the team when OM have the ball, but who will need the right mental conditions... especially at home. (And the Vélodrome will remind you of that quickly.)

As for his recent Premier League trajectory: a first season hampered by injury then an uptick, 23 appearances and 3 goals in total before this Marseille loan.

Why it matters for OM — The missing piece in De Zerbi’s plan

With Roberto De Zerbi, OM want to control and dictate. O’Riley is a player who sees before receiving and passes before being pressed. In positional play, he can break lines with short passes as well as switches of play, position himself between the lines and offer simple options to the ball carrier. Add his clean technique in tight spaces and his defensive work upon loss: you get a linchpin profile to secure the build-up, speed up combinations and feed the flanks.

From a sporting standpoint, timing matters: OM are coming off a stuttering start to the season and need glue between ball-winners and attackers. O’Riley can immediately enter the rotation as a potential starter, depending on the opponent and the game state. And in a European season, adding another brain in midfield counts double. (De Zerbi is in place until 2027: medium-term project coherence.)

Between enthusiasm and caution

The news struck a chord with many supporters: elegant profile, technically clean, team-first brain… the package is appealing. The fact the loan is without an option suggests Brighton still strongly believe in his value — enough to fuel a ready-made Marseille debate: immediate smart pickup or short-term gamble? Specialist media confirm the structure of the deal, reinforcing this mixed long-term reading. 

On the “pitch” side, several English observers highlight his strengths (forward passing, penalties, pressing) and his blind spots (transitions, shooting consistency, emotional management). The Vélodrome will put that to the test very quickly — and that might be exactly what he needs: a clear framework, defined responsibilities, a compass named De Zerbi.

Over to you, Matt

OM wanted glue and ideas at the heart of their play: O’Riley arrives for that. In the short term, he’s a reinforcement tailor-made for the plan and to steady weaker spells through passing. In the medium term, the absence of an option is a reminder the club must capitalize right away: minutes, automatisms, results. Over to you, Matt — make the Vélodrome sing. And you, where do you see him in the starting XI? Your turn in the comments.