A very large sale by OM in this transfer window is not insignificant, and corresponds to a certain sign of interest from Saudi Arabia. Thus Frank McCourt is subtly accosted by Saudi investors for the takeover of OM.
An unreliable player who arrived six months ago and leaves is usually not a good sign. And yet, OM has just made the biggest sale in its history, the biggest since the Frank McCourt era since Zambo-Anguisa in 2018 with a €23 million cash charge for Renan Lodi’s departure. Certainly, Saudi Arabia does not operate on the same scale, and the former Atlético de Madrid could never have signed for this sum at a European club after six timid months at OM. But the trend of Saudi investments is a reality that affects the whole of European football, and Marseille’s leaders were wrong not to take advantage of it for the best sale of the Pablo Longoria era.
Saudi Arabia awaits McCourt’s debut
So Renan Lodi joins Al-Hilal, which, like the four main clubs in the Saudi Championship, remains under the control of the government and PIF, the Kingdom’s investment fund. And according to Team Football, it is Prince Al Waleed bin Talal, a particularly large investor in banking, real estate and technology, who is behind the operation, which the media interprets as a signal sent to Frank McCourt of a desire for cooperation. between the two parties in the future. Saudi Arabia has been announced as a future buyer of OM for more than three years, but until now, the American owner has never honestly opened the door, refused any meeting or demanded a crazy amount to sell the Provencal club.
He is here to deliver, to compete..
It is ready 💪🏻#Lodi_Hilali #alhilal 💙See more on our Instagram 📸👇🏻https://t.co/J03i0bdBbe pic.twitter.com/yTG1vIrTEc
— Alhilal Saudi Club (@Alhilal_EN) January 17, 2024
So this boost to OM’s finances will be far from innocent, especially as Pablo Longoria was quick to accept the offer and McCourt has shown there is still hope to do great in the transfer window. Not sure that the speech would have been the same without the financial loss from Al-Hilal, which in any case would have made it possible to clearly reduce OM’s current deficit this season. Frank McCourt, who this week ended Pablo Longoria’s first meeting in the United States, has decided to close the purse strings in any case, and this economy can be seen in the transfer window that is currently being created. Marseille Club. The sale of Renan Lodi will allow for a centre-forward with the announced signing of Faris Moumbagna. The only really expensive operation of this transfer window that doesn’t satisfy Gennaro Gattuso for the moment.
