OM — A two-phase transfer window, reignited by the Rabiot affair

Promises of stability quickly swept aside

In the spring, Pablo Longoria hammered home a reassuring message: “ambition, but with our heads.” With Roberto De Zerbi, the idea was clear: establish continuity, avoid overspending, and build a long-term project. But actions soon contradicted intentions.

Over €100m invested, a record matched

In the end, 12 signings arrived — matching a club record. More than €100m spent, including the most expensive purchase in OM’s history: Igor Paixao at €35m including add-ons. Add to that the massive salaries of Nayef Aguerd and Benjamin Pavard (over €4m net per year), symbols of a club ready to break the bank to get back on track.

The Rabiot affair, the trigger for a frenzy

The opening defeat at Rennes (1–0) and the chaos around Adrien Rabiot served as a wake-up call. The hierarchy then reopened dormant files (Hamed Junior Traoré), moved quickly on opportunities (Arthur Vermeeren, Matt O’Riley), and signed six players in a week, four of them in the final 24 hours. Unprecedented.

A two-speed transfer window

• Phase 1: method and planning

  Aguerd, Angel Gomes, and Facundo Medina had long been part of the plans. Timothy Weah was approved by De Zerbi for his versatility, while CJ Egan-Riley and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang embodied a pragmatic approach.

• Phase 2: haste and reaction

  August changed everything. The defense was completely rebuilt with Pavard, Aguerd, and Medina, relegating Leonardo Balerdi, a captain declared non-transferable not long ago, to a precarious position. The image of an unpredictable OM, sometimes verging on the irrational, emerged stronger than ever.

A strategy embraced, but risky

Since 2021, 53 signings have joined OM… and 55% haven’t played a second season in Provence. Longoria and Mehdi Benatia stand by this fluid policy, even if it makes the club feel like an airport concourse. But this 2025 frenzy now has to produce more than a mere transfer-window firework display: consistent results in Ligue 1 and an OM that looks credible in the Champions League.

Two acts, two faces: OM’s 2025 version began by preaching stability before diving into a frantic finale. Twelve signings later, the squad is deeper, more expensive, and perhaps more competitive. But one question remains: will this two-step window be the springboard to a genuine European breakthrough—or just another episode of Marseille’s chronic instability?