OM changes its plans for its defense and explores another track, more financially realized, than that leading to Ordonez.
Olympique de Marseille has decided to review its copy on the defensive site.
The Marseille club has been following Joel Ordonez for several weekssolid Ecuadorian defender of the Bruges club. But faced with the financial requirements of the Belgian club, estimated at 35 million euros, Pablo Longoria and Medhi Benatia judged the track too expensive to be continued. A pragmatic decision, intended to avoid an escalation incompatible with the current club policy.
OM has a Croatian target in the viewfinder
However, the file has not remained a dead letter.
According to several concordant sourcesOM has reoriented its efforts to Josip Sutalo, a Croatian international defender evolving at Ajax Amsterdam. Arrived in the Netherlands in 2023 for 20.5 million euros, the former Dinamo Zagreb player quickly established himself as a key element of the Ajacid rearguard. His robustness and his reading of the game particularly attract Roberto de Zerbi, eager to bring more solidity to his back line.
The Marseille interest in Sutalo intervenes in a particular context. Ajax has just lost Jorrel Hato,
Sold in Chelsea for 40 million euros, And could therefore be reluctant to sell another defensive framework. But the operation is not impossible: a well-calibrated offer could make the Dutch direction think, especially if it wishes to capitalize on the market value of its player.
Sutalo, the new option after the failure
A financial balance to be preserved
For OM, the key remains not to exceed certain budgetary limits. The club does not exclude waiting for the end of the transfer window on September 1, to take advantage of possible drops in prices or last -minute opportunities. This strategy, already successfully used by Longoria and Benatia, would strengthen the team while preserving its financial room for maneuver.
It remains to be seen whether Sutalo will agree to leave Ajax at that time and if the OM will manage to get along with the Dutch club. One thing is certain: Marseille defense has not yet said its last word in this summer transfer window.
