Best championship defender, CJ Egan-Riley chose OM. A real bet for the Marseillais who did not always have a happy hand with the talents of the English second division …
Photo credit: ICON SPORT
OM is not finished surprising on the transfer market. While the supporters were waiting for a flashy name, CJ Egan-Riley, 22-year-old defender, arrives. A player trained in Manchester City, who went through the Championship with Burnley, and whose notoriety in France is almost zero. This choice, signed Roberto de Zerbi, intrigues as much as he divides. The Italian technician seems to want to bet on a young, hard -working and versatile profile, but the former Mancunian will quickly adapt to the requirement of the velodrome.
Championship recruits are struggling at OM
CJ Egan-Riley arrives in a championship where many of its predecessors from the Championship have broken their teeth. The most telling example remains that of Iliman N'Diaye, recruited at a golden price in 2023 but which has never found its place in Marseille. Jonathan Rowe and Ishmaïla Sarr, despite their potential, have also struggled to cross the course. The march between the English second division and Ligue 1 seems much higher than expected. In Riley to thwart the forecasts and to establish himself as a real taulier in defense.
A Vrai Pari De Roberto De Zerbi
If De Zerbi validated this arrival, it is because he sees in CJ Egan-Riley a profile compatible with his game project. It remains to be seen whether the player will have his shoulders to bear the pressure of a club like OM. Between disproportionate expectations, fierce competition and express adaptation, the challenge is total. But by succeeding where others have failed, English may well become one of the pretty blows of this summer transfer window.
