Mercato OM: Marcelino favourite, Galtier the outsider?
Following the rejection of Marcelo Gallardo and the failure of Paulo Fonseca's bid, OM seem to be going for Marcelino. But Christophe Galtier is also back in the news on Tuesday.
It's the soap opera of this early mercato in Ligue 1. While PSG have set their sights on Luis Enrique, OM have yet to find a successor to Igor Tudor, almost three weeks after the Croatian's departure. Marcelo Gallardo was long the favorite, but ultimately turned down the job.
Plan B turned into plan A, Paulo Fonseca was keen to come to Marseille, but Lille closed the door on him and the Portuguese didn't want to arm-wrestle. As a result, Marseille have had to look elsewhere, and all eyes are now on Marcelino.
A free agent since the end of his contract at Athletic Bilbao a year ago, the Spanish coach enjoys a solid reputation on the other side of the Pyrenees, as well as being close to Pablo Longoria. According to L'Equipe, the former Valencia and Villarreal coach has had a written offer from OM for several days now.
Negotiations between Marcelino and OM continue — talks underway in order to reach an agreement this week. 🚨🔵 OM
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 19, 2023
More to follow. https://t.co/TqR0exN1GH
La Provence confirms that OM are making progress in this area and that Marcelino is now the new priority for the Olympic board. This information has also been confirmed by Fabrizio Romano, who assures us that OM and Marcelino are negotiating in the hope of reaching an agreement this week.
Galtier's interest is growing, but...
On Tuesday, La Provence also reopened the case of Christophe Galtier, who is still negotiating his exit from PSG. La Provence had already put his name forward on June 7, and now insists that the Galtier option has gained momentum and is establishing itself internally as a "genuine alternative".
"Not a chance", was OM's response in L'Equipe on the same day, when asked about the possibility of a move for Galtier, who in addition to having managed PSG last season, is the target of a racism accusation by his former colleague at Nice, Julien Fournier.
Coulda surprise move be on the cards in the next few days? L'Equipe reckons it's still a possibility, even if Marcelino is currently the firm favourite for the Marseille bench.