OM are reportedly considering activating their buy-back priority to bring back Cameroonian goalkeeper Simon Ngapandouetnbu, who has the best save percentage in Ligue 2 with Montpellier. A lead revealed by AfricaFoot, with no official announcement from the Marseille club.
Simon Ngapandouetnbu is keeping goal for Montpellier and standing out in Ligue 2. According to AfricaFoot, Olympique de Marseille are considering activating their buy-back priority clause to bring the Cameroonian goalkeeper back in June 2027. For now it is a rumour, unconfirmed at this stage.
At 23, the goalkeeper left OM on a free transfer in summer 2025 to sign for Montpellier. His performances have now earned him top spot in the league’s goalkeeper rankings, and his name is being mentioned at the Vélodrome, as FootMarseille recalls.
A free departure, a well-guarded clause
When Ngapandouetnbu signed for Montpellier, OM had not let their former player go without a safeguard. According to But! Football Club, the Marseille club included a buy-back priority as well as a bonus in the event of MHSC’s promotion to Ligue 1. A mechanism that would allow the Marseille hierarchy to regain control over a former OM player.
The Marseille context could favour such a return. According to But! Football Club, OM are going through a period of financial rationalisation, favourable to the return of former talents developed at the academy.
Standout statistics
On the pitch, Ngapandouetnbu leads the Ligue 2 goalkeepers with six clean sheets since the start of the season, according to FootMarseille. The same outlet reports that he has the best save percentage in the league, at 86.8%.
On Monday evening, in matchday 9, he made two decisive saves in Montpellier’s 3-0 win against Rodez, according to CamerFoot-infos. That result lifted MHSC to second place in the table, reports Soccerway. The goalkeeper recently highlighted the support and valuable advice of his compatriot André Onana, a goalkeeper and mentor, in his rise to prominence (CamerFoot-infos).
In Marseille, the Lange question in the background
The matter takes on greater significance in light of Marseille’s season. According to But! Football Club, OM’s current goalkeeper, Jeffrey de Lange, is no longer universally backed between the posts this season. The outlet does not, however, specify whether the club has made a decision on his future.
The player himself remains focused on the promotion race: Montpellier play a new Ligue 2 match this weekend.