Olympique de Marseille

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Good signings for Marseille.
I hope they can win the title, someone has to challenge Lyon ffs.

[Mighty T.A.L.]

Marseille looks stronger now on many years but Lyon have reinfore their team from last season although it seems they will lose Malouda this summer.

[DavidMc]

Marseille have announced the signing of three players: Gaël Givet, Benoît Cheyrou and Laurent Bonnart. In addition, coach Albert Emon has agreed a one-year extension to his contract and will now stay at the Stade Vélodrome until May 2009.

Albert Emon, who helped Marseille to a second-place finish last season has signed a 12-month extension to his current deal with OM. The former Monaco, Marseille and Lyon player stepped up from the position of assistant coach to take full control of the team at the beginning of the season. In his first year in charge he helped qualify Marseille for next season's UEFA Champions League with their best finish to a campaign since 1998/99.


Benoît Cheyrou became the third summer arrival at the Stade Vélodrome following the signings of Jacques Faty and Vincent Gragnic. The 26-year-old spent five seasons at Lille before moving to Auxerre in 2004. He scored three league goals in 34 league appearances last year as AJA finished in eighth place. A French Cup winner in 2005, Benoît follows in the footsteps of his brother Bruno, now at Rennes, who played for Marseille in 2004/05.


"I'm happy that Benoît Cheyrou is coming to Olympique Marseille," Pape Diouf, the club's president, told his side's official website. "He is a player with character who will help balance out our midfield."

Cheyrou has been joined on the Canebière by Monaco's Gaël Givet and Laurent Bonnart of Le Mans. Defender Givet, 25, has signed a four-year deal after spending over a decade with the principality club while Bonnart, another defender, has joined on a three-year contract. Aged 27 the former Le Mans captain won promotion to Ligue 1 with les Manceaux in 2003 and 2005.

[unitedfan]

Lyon are already pretty much prepared for anything. They lost Tiago, they brought in Bodmer. Wiltord's fading a little, Kader Keita's come in. If they get a hold of a goalscorer they'll be a threat in Europe.

Marseille have got good deals in here, though. They'll still be reeling from losing Ribery, but they've got Samir Nasri, who'll they'll most probably be looking to to step up.

As for Marseile challenging Lyon, it'll be tough, as Lyon's squad is by far still the strongest.

[Mighty T.A.L.]

I guess Marseille will be the only team who can challenge Lyon next season.

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Lyon: Ben Arfa Available For €20M

Olympique Lyonnais chairman Jean-Michel Aulas has stated that the club are willing to sell Hatem Ben Arfa for the right figure...

The French international, who was voted Young Player of the Year in France, has been strongly linked with football away from Stade Gerland, with a host of clubs across Europe said to be monitoring his situation.

Arsenal coach, Arsène Wenger, is believed to be a keen admirer of the 21-year-old's potential, but he is expected to face stiff competition from Marseille to win the race for the winger's signature.

Aulas has increased speculation over the future of Ben Arfa by saying that the youngster, who has showed his disappointment by not being a regular starter for Lyon, could leave the club for a fee in the region of €20 million.

"That's the price in the market, even because it is known that Arsenal will pay Marseille 16 million for Samir Nasri," the Lyon chairman said.

News sources in France claim this Thursday that Paris Saint-Germain are in line to make a move for Ben Arfa, who broke into Lyon's senior ranks in the 2004/05 season.

Goal.com - Lyon - Lyon: Ben Arfa Available For €20M

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Marseille have reported in their official website that they've signed Hatem Ben Arfa from Olympique Lyon.

Ben Arfa nach Marseille - transfermarkt.de

He should replace Nasri quite well.

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Olympique de Marseille

Nickname(s):
- l'OM,
- l'Ohème
- Marseillais

Founded: 1899
Stadium: Stade Vélodrome, Marseille
Capacity: 60,031

Chairman: Pape Diouf
Manager: Eric Gerets
League: Ligue 1

Honours:

French Division 1: 8
>1937, 1948, 1971, 1972, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992

French Division 2: 1
> 1995

French Cup: 10
> 1924, 1926, 1927, 1935, 1938, 1943, 1969, 1972, 1976, 1989

UEFA Champions League: 1
> 1993

UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2
> 2005, 2006

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Olympique Marseille 08/09 new home kit

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Marseille Muse Over Klasnic and Koné

Having last night secured the services of Hatem Ben Arfa, Marseille are in no mood to rest as they attempt to build a squad capable of wrestling the Ligue 1 title away from Olympique Lyon…

Marseille may have spent lavishly on Lyon's Ben Arfa yesterday however Pape Diouf is likely to once again flash the club's credit card as he eyes up more attacking talent in the centre of his side.

Rumours over Marseille's desire to sign Baki Koné from Nice have long resonated in the French press but are finally close to fruition according to an article in France Football today. A deal of around €8 million is close to completion for the Ivorian player, who managed 14 goals last season in just 30 league appearances.

The diminutive Koné could be deployed in the 'Samir Nasri role' just behind a solo striker or could be used directly in attack, where he caused so much damage last term while with Nice.

A more direct attacking threat may be posed by Werder Bremen forward Ivan Klasnic, who has been linked with a move to the south coast of France by La Provence.

Whereas Koné's signature would cost the club greatly, the Croatian international forward would be signed on a free transfer as his contract with his German club expires this summer.

A revered goal scorer, Klasnic has had to overcome kidney failure and two subsequent operations to continue his career. The forward has done so superbly. Less than 12 months after returning to training he scored twice, but ultimately futilely, for Croatia in Euro2008.

Nantes are also believed to be closely examining the forward with a view to offering him a deal.

Goal.com - France - Marseille Muse Over Klasnic and Koné

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Nasri To Arsenal In 'A Few Days' - Diouf

Marseille chairman Pape Diouf insists the protracted transfer saga of young star Samir Nasri to Arsenal will soon finally reach its conclusion...

The playmaker has been compared to the legendary Zinedine Zidane and attracted interest from the likes of Juventus and Real Madrid in past seasons.

Arsenal also showed fleeting interest, which strengthened upon rumours that Aliaksandr Hleb would be leaving the club - another saga which remains ongoing.

Nasri's transfer was mooted before Euro 2008 but could not be finalised, with rumours over each party being unable to agree on a transfer fee.

Since France's group stage elimination from the competition, talks have resumed and Nasri as well as many close to the player have confirmed he will be moving - he made a statement on his personal website on June 23, only for the club to remove it - and still the deal has yet to be made official.

Pape Diouf, who has already secured the signing of Lyon's Hatem Ben Arfa as Nasri's replacement. While that transfer was not without its complications - as Lyon tried to deny they had sold the player - now it has been completed, the Nasri deal will need to go through in order to balance l'OM's books - something Diouf will be all too aware of.

"The documents need to be fulfilled," Diouf explained to the press. "A few days are still needed."

Goal.com - Arsenal - Nasri To Arsenal In 'A Few Days' - Diouf

[NJ10]

Ben Arfa seems a bit overpriced to me. Every time i have seen him he has looked a bit lazy. He obviously has a lot of talent, but €20m seems steep. He didnt look all that in the Champions League last season, and you have to question why Lyon were willing to part with him and replace him with Ederson.

Watch him set the world alight now i have said that!

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Nasri To Arsenal In 10 Days

Contradicting Marseille chairman Pape Diouf, Samir Nasri's agent has claimed that his transfer to Arsenal will be complete in 10 days...

The Nasri saga is over a month old now, with the 21-year-old touted the new Zinedine Zidane mooted as a replacement for Aliaksandr Hleb, who is thought to be on his way out of London.

Marseille have signed Lyon's Hatem Ben Arfa - also not without controversy - as a direct replacement for Nasri, and as such they will be ready and willing to let the creative midfielder leave the club.

Real Madrid and Juventus had expressed interest in the past, but Arsenal are the sole contenders for his signature now and while it does not remain a matter of if, when the signing will be completed has become a saga seeing no end over the past weeks.

While it first stretched through Euro 2008, in which Nasri played a limited part in France's group stage elimination, the deal has been on the verge of completion for a couple of weeks now, with the player himself claiming the deal was complete, only being asked to retract his statement by Marseille.

There have since been various timeframes quoted and, inevitably, not met.

Earlier this week, Pape Diouf assured that the transfer was inevitable but a few days would be needed to finalise the details. Jean-Pierre Bernes, the player's agent, has clarified that the deal will not be completed until the player comes back from his holiday, in about 10 days.

"He is on his holidays. It [the transfer] will be made when he will be back, in about 10 days," said the agent.

The various conflicting messages over the past weeks may even cast doubt into the minds of many over whether the transfer will be completed at all.

Goal.com - Arsenal - Nasri To Arsenal In 10 Days

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Marseille Cancel Koné Deal

Any hopes that Baki Koné was harbouring of a move to Marseille have virtually been extinguished as Pape Diouf, president of the Mediterranean club, would not match Nice's asking price for the player…

Marseille had been put into a stronger bargaining position for the forward due to Hatem Ben Arfa's transfer from Lyon being completed earlier this week. Diouf's side no long have the desperate need for an attacking player and were unwilling to match Nice's asking price.

A hefty price tag was enough to ward off the unwanted attentions from l'OM. Diouf confirmed this assertion telling l'Equipe that, “What Nice ask - between €10 million and €12 million - does not correspond to the market price. Our proposal is of €8 million, which appears to me a very reasonable offer.”

Attentions on the south coast are now likely to turn towards Croatian forward Ivan Klasnic. Two goals in Euro 2008 for his national side will have captured the attention of a Marseille side still seeking more attacking options. Whereas Koné would have cost the club a tremendous sum of money, Klasnic can arrive on a free contract as his contract at Werder Bremen has expired.

Meanwhile Koné's future does not necessarily remain on the Cote d'Azur. Both Saint-Étienne and PSG have been alert to the movements of the player in recent weeks and will have been interested to see this latest development.

PSG appear particularly keen on the 26 year-old Ivorian striker and, according to France Football, are poised to make a bid today. It is believed that the ailing Parisians have little chance of success in luring the 14-goal striker away from the balmy south.

Goal.com - Marseille - Marseille Cancel Koné Deal