Nayef Aguerd on the verge of joining an Arab club | Goal.com
Olympique de Marseille, as part of their efforts to boost their financial resources, are seeking to make progress in negotiations over the departure of a number of their players.
French network "Foot Mercato" report that Marseille are close to an agreement with Al Sadd over the transfer of Moroccan international Nayef Aguerd to the Qatari side.
The Qatari club will then need to settle terms with the 30-year-old on his salary.
Marseille are still hunting for ways to cut their wage bill and repair their finances. Forced to sell a clutch of players to balance the books, they have not ruled out letting Aguerd go just one year after he arrived.
Tied to a contract until 2030, the Moroccan international was among the players tipped to leave the Stade Vélodrome this summer.
His deal contained a specific clause. Until 31 July, Aguerd could have left Marseille for 15 million euros, paid in a single instalment.
Nobody took up that option, even though the defender remained in high demand.
Stade Rennes, where he played between 2020 and 2022, were especially keen to bring him back but could make no headway.
Al Sadd have now tilted the deal in their favour, according to the French network. Interested in the player for weeks, the Qatari club are close to agreeing a fee with Marseille: 4 million euros with an automatic purchase option worth 11 million euros. It marks a big step in a transfer Marseille's board want wrapped up quickly.
The structure of that deal reveals how far Marseille have shifted. At first, the club's management pushed hard for a permanent sale to bring in immediate cash.
The market told a different story. With deals proving hard to strike, they eventually settled for a loan with a purchase option, and now an agreement must be reached with Aguerd, who has 64 caps for Morocco.
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