Balerdi refuses Bayer Leverkusen and deprives Marseille of €25 million

Leonardo Balerdi refused to join Bayer Leverkusen this summer, depriving Olympique de Marseille of a sale valued at €25 million, at a time when the club is going through one of the most severe financial crises in its recent history.

According to L’Équipe, Bayer Leverkusen had made a concrete offer of €25 million, bonuses included, to secure the services of Argentine centre-back Balerdi. Balerdi, under contract until 2028, did not wish to join the Rhineland club, now competing in the Ligue Europa and managed by Spaniard Carles Martinez Novell, former Toulouse coach. The player, who arrived at Marseille in 2020 from Dortmund, therefore closed the door on this transfer. He subsequently suffered a calf injury during an Argentina gathering, just before the World Cup.

This refusal comes in a particularly tense financial context for Marseille. The club must present itself this Tuesday before the National Management Control Authority (DNCG) with liabilities approaching €120 million to close the 2025-2026 financial year. Without significant sales in the coming days, disciplinary sanctions cannot be ruled out. Last week, UEFA had already granted the Phocaeans a one-year reprieve before ruling on a possible exclusion from European competitions.

To refill its coffers, Marseille is mainly counting on Mason Greenwood, valued at €55 million by the club and followed by AS Roma and Fenerbahçe. Other high-earning players are also expected to leave, notably Pierre-Emile Höjbjerg. The Marseille board will therefore have to find alternative solutions to meet the requirements of French football’s financial watchdog.