Marseille Sets Sights on Aymeric Laporte for Summer Transfer

Olympique de Marseille (OM) is poised to renew their pursuit of Spanish defender Aymeric Laporte in the upcoming summer transfer window. This follows an unsuccessful attempt to secure the player’s services during the January transfer period.

Despite bringing in Luiz Felipe early in the winter window, OM remained in the market for additional defensive reinforcements following Lilian Brasier’s departure. The club had even reached an agreement with Chelsea for a loan deal involving Aaron Anselmino, but the transfer fell through at the last moment.

Laporte, currently with Al-Nassr, emerged as a prime target for Marseille. The club’s sporting director, Medhi Benatia, held promising talks with the 30-year-old center-back, successfully convincing him to consider a move to the Stade Vélodrome. However, financial obstacles prevented the deal from materializing in January.

Undeterred by this setback, Marseille is expected to revisit negotiations with Laporte when the summer transfer window opens. The club believes that more favorable financial conditions at that time will increase their chances of securing the experienced defender’s signature.

In addition to Laporte, Marseille had also explored possibilities with other defensive options, including Kalidou Koulibaly from Al-Hilal and Jean-Clair Todibo, currently on loan at West Ham United from OGC Nice.

On the offensive front, Benatia had reached out to Marcus Rashford to gauge his interest in joining OM. However, the English forward was more inclined towards a move to Barcelona at the time and showed little enthusiasm for a switch to Ligue 1. Rashford ultimately joined Aston Villa late in the transfer window.

As Marseille continues to strengthen its squad, the potential acquisition of Laporte remains a key objective for the upcoming transfer period.