Olympique de Marseille is going through a difficult period where its offensive recruitment policy is being questioned, notably because of the emblematic cases of Iliman Ndiaye and Luis Suarez. Arriving in 2023, Ndiaye failed to establish himself under the Marseille jersey and was sold as early as 2024 to Everton for 18 million euros. Since then, the Senegalese international has exploded in the Premier League, to the point of attracting a record offer of 46 million euros from Inter Milan, which was refused by the English club. Similarly, Luis Suarez, considered insufficient at Marseille, shone at Almeria before being transferred to Sporting CP for 22 million euros, nearly three times the amount received by OM at his departure, totaling a direct loss of around 68 million euros in unrealized potential value.
This situation illustrates the paradoxes of the sporting strategy led by president Pablo Longoria. OM shows a very high turnover, with 55% of recruited players not staying more than one season, a sign of impatience that seems to penalize medium-term development. It would probably have taken a little more time to allow these players to confirm their talent and increase their market value, thus avoiding heavy missed opportunities economically.
At the same time, financially, the Marseille club faces a structural deficit exceeding 60 million euros for the 2025-2026 season, worsened by the drop in TV rights in Ligue 1 and its inconsistent sporting results. With a total budget estimated at nearly 280 million euros, and a transfer budget limited to around 30 million euros net, priority is given to cost control and a return to financial balance, essential to ensure the club’s sustainability in a constrained economic context.
To try to turn things around, OM is counting on qualifying for the Champions League, which could bring in between 50 and 60 million euros, an essential windfall to stabilize finances and support the sporting project. In this tense context, past mistakes continue to weigh: the recruitment policy and the rushed departures of promising players like Ndiaye and Suarez are now sources of regret that highlight the unavoidable need for a finer balance between sporting demands and economic patience for the club’s future.