Separate themselves from undesirables and recruit quality reinforcements capable of adapting to Igor Tudor's system: this was the objective of Pablo Longoria and Javier Ribalta, the two strong men of the Marseille board.
This Tuesday, January 31, the closing date of the winter transfer window, the mission seems accomplished with regard to the movements in Provence.
Gerson (Flamengo), Luis Suarez (paying loan in Almeria) and Bamba Dieng (Lorient) have packed up;
and, in the opposite direction, Ruslan Malinovskyi (29) and Azzedine Ounahi (22) arrived in Marseille.
And, this Tuesday evening, OM therefore concluded their "deal" with the arrival of striker Vitinha (22) from Braga.
The Sky and White paid 26 million euros (plus 4 million bonuses) to reach the release clause set by the Portuguese institution, namely 30 million euros.
If officially signed, he will be one of the most expensive transfers in the history of OM alongside Dimitri Payet and Kevin Strootman.
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According to several sources, Southampton was also willing to pay this sum, but the player trained in Braga preferred to join OM, who therefore offered him a four and a half year contract.
The disposals of Gerson (15 million euros) and Dieng (8 million euros + 2 million bonus) combined with a staggered payment made it possible to free up funds in the finances and, therefore, to carry out this operation.
Upon his arrival in Marignane, the robust center-forward (1.83 m) was able to meet a dozen supporters who came to welcome him with fireworks and other songs traditionally sung at the Vélodrome, before passing the customary medical examination. .
“He wets the shirt”
After the failure Terem Moffi (formalized in Nice), the Marseille staff quickly looked into Vitinha, by his full name Vítor Manuel Carvalho Oliveira.
Trained at SC Braga, the native of Cabeceiras de Basto is only experiencing his second season as a pro.
With a good shot, technically skilful and capable of repeating efforts, he is considered one of the best Portuguese hopes.
"He's an aggressive player with ease in front of goal.
He fits well with the profile of Marseille supporters: he wets the jersey, he is intense, dynamic and hard-hitting, ”explains Carlos Freitas, former director of football for SC Braga.
“He is atypical compared to the classic Portuguese profile.
He is a top striker capable of playing alone or in pairs.
In recent seasons, he has played with another player alongside him.
It has come out of the shadows for the past eighteen months and has been constantly evolving ever since.
It's a good investment for OM.
»
"On the doorstep of the national team"
International Portuguese U 21 (5 selections), Vitinha has never been called up for A. Shortlisted for the World Cup in Qatar, he represents the future of the Seleção attack along with Gonçalo Ramos.
His statistics are interesting in this respect: this season, Vitinha has scored 13 goals and provided 5 assists in 27 games in all competitions.
Last year, he had scored 14 times and distributed 4 assists in 38 games.
“He already has experience in the European Cup, because he played the Europa League two seasons in a row.
He is on the doorstep of the national team, ”testifies Carlos Freitas.
His arrival should allow Alexis Sanchez to evolve lower on the ground.
“It depends on the type of player who will arrive.
If it's a fixed point, it won't be the same as if it's a more mobile player who can play other positions.
We will see if it is possible to make them play together, ”said Igor Tudor, who should therefore soon discover his new offensive reinforcement.
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