Karl Toko Ekambi joins Marseille on derisory salary as OM scrambles to close transfer window

Olympique de Marseille could conclude its summer transfer window with a single signing: Karl Toko Ekambi, 33, a free agent whose signature was being discussed in the final hours of the transfer market, which closed Tuesday evening in France.

With the Phocaean club registering numerous departures this summer — Mason Greenwood, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Leonardo Balerdi, Facundo Medina and Geronimo Rulli have all left the club — the prospect of a final day without incoming or outgoing movement had gained traction, according to L’Équipe. Only a loan for Derek Cornelius appeared likely to be finalized during the day.

On the arrivals front, the attacking profile targeted by Marseille’s management is therefore Toko Ekambi. The Cameroonian international, born in Paris, reportedly agreed to commit on a salary described as “derisory” by L’Équipe, a constraint directly linked to the club’s wage cap restrictions imposed by the DNCG. The signing of a second goalkeeper also remained a “possibility”, though that deal was no more advanced.

Bruno Genesio knows the striker well, having managed him at Lyon. Toko Ekambi has been playing in the Middle East since 2023, where his performances have been modest. A backup reinforcement, then, far from the transfer coup that OM’s sporting situation demanded after a summer marked by massive departures.