Summer transfer window blank at OM: Rothen accuses McCourt of leaving club without signings

Olympique de Marseille could close the summer transfer window without a single signing. With just days until the deadline set for September 1, 2026, sporting director Grégory Lorenzi himself admitted the possibility of a blank summer: “Perhaps we won’t have any signings this summer.”

The statement comes despite a flying start in Ligue 1: the Phocaean club thrashed Strasbourg 4-0 on the opening day. But this result masks tensions behind the scenes. Lorenzi confirmed that several players still need to leave the club before the market closes, with no incoming arrivals guaranteed to offset these departures.

Former international Jérôme Rothen made no attempt to hide his concern about the situation. “The situation worries me, I didn’t think we were at this point,” he said. He acknowledges the good start in the league, but quickly puts it in perspective: “If we think they’re going to have a great season, I think that’s flipping a coin and there’s more chance it lands on the wrong side. It would be catastrophic not to have a signing.”

For Rothen, responsibility for this impasse lies primarily with American owner Frank McCourt, rather than the new sporting director. “We can thank him for putting in a lot of money, except now, Mr. McCourt, you’re not putting in another cent. You’re leaving a club in serious difficulty,” he said.

OM still has a few hours to turn the situation around, with the transfer window closing on Tuesday, September 1 at 19:59. The club must also manage its European schedule following the Europa League draw, which makes the absence of reinforcements all the more concerning for observers.