Keyliane Abdallah, Genesio's bet to fill the void left by Greenwood at OM

Having failed to register a single signing during the summer transfer window, Olympique de Marseille is leaning on its academy to start the Ligue 1 season. And it is Keyliane Abdallah, a 20-year-old right winger, who currently embodies Bruno Genesio’s best surprise.

The nephew of Toifilou Maoulida had already made an impression on May 25, 2024 at Stade Pierre-Mauroy, scoring the opening goal in the Coupe Gambardella final against Nancy-Lorraine (4-1) — celebrating with a bandeau, like his uncle once did. Two years later, the player developed at Marseille, who grew up in Comoros and Réunion, unlocked his professional account when he came on as a substitute against Strasbourg in the championship opener (4-0). Incisive and capable of creating danger on his flank, he occupies a position left vacant by Mason Greenwood’s departure, with no real specialist to replace him.

His progress had not convinced Roberto De Zerbi’s staff in 2025, unlike Robino Vaz who was stringing together impressive cameos. Abdallah then left the OM reserve team for a five-month loan to Gimnastic de Tarragona, a Spanish third-division club located an hour from Barcelona, which became OM’s partner in December 2025. This exile, which forced him to live alone far from his family, appears to have matured him both athletically and personally.

“The context is favourable too. A season with so many opportunities for young players at OM is rare,” confides a member of his entourage. The club’s financial constraint — the board having failed to reduce the wage bill enough to recruit — thus creates an unprecedented window for in-house talent.

Abdallah trained with the starters this week. With Angel Gomes and Himad Abdelli struggling to assert themselves and maintain the pace in the second half, Genesio could be tempted to revise his starting eleven to give him a starting spot.