Nayef Aguerd’s situation has been closely watched during the transfer window, with the Morocco international coming close to a return to Real Sociedad, where he previously spent a season. The Spanish club had proposed a €2 million loan deal with a €17 million purchase option.
However, the recovery program requested by the Basque club did not suit Aguerd, who underwent surgery in March for a persistent groin injury. The defender therefore opted to remain in Marseille.
With Olympique de Marseille set to open their Ligue 1 campaign against Strasbourg on Friday, August 21, coach Bruno Genesio spoke about Aguerd’s situation at a press conference on Wednesday, August 19. He also addressed the case of Danish international midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who turned down a move to Tottenham.
“The two of them are taking it in stride and are focused on the pitch. Obviously, I talk to them a lot; they need to talk things through. But they are focused solely on the pitch. I think they want to show something different from what we may have seen or heard about the team as a whole, particularly toward the end of last season. They have that desire to prove themselves, like others do. They want to show that they have quality. They will also have to be judged on what they do at the start of the season. They are focused on the club, the team and the pitch. They have no regrets about what happened.”
Read also : Nayef Aguerd explains why his return to Real Sociedad fell through
Aguerd could therefore feature in Marseille’s first Ligue 1 game of the new season against Strasbourg on Friday at the Vélodrome.
Under contract with Marseille until 2030, the Morocco international is now “ready to play,” according to Genesio.
“Nayef is coming back from injury. He hasn’t played for five months. His first objective was to get back into physical shape, and he has done that. Now there will be a second stage: gradually getting back to playing and regaining his rhythm.”
