Noah Nartey, 26, left OM for OL after a stint which did not meet initial expectations. Presented last January as a midfielder with high potential, the player had attracted the interest of the Marseille team, but the file was unsuccessful. OL finally managed to attract him during the winter transfer window, but his integration proved difficult.
The 0-2 against PSG highlighted Nartey's difficulties in adapting to French football. His performances remain below projections, and questions about his role in the Lyon squad are increasing. While OL hoped that he would become a key element of the midfield, the results show that the player is struggling to convince.
On the Marseille side, some supporters wonder if the club did not make the right choice by not pursuing the track. Marseille insider Adammser reacted on social networks by recalling OM's supposed interest in Nartey before his arrival in Lyon. “We almost left the Zinedine Zidane of the championship to OL in the last transfer window. Thank you Benatia for letting the competition take the middle-class Nartey,” he joked, emphasizing the irony of the situation and Medhi Benatia’s decision not to pursue the transfer.
In a market where every investment counts, OM must avoid recruitment errors and build a workforce capable of meeting its sporting ambitions. The case of Nartey reminds us that measuring the potential of a player before his arrival in a new championship is always delicate. It would be premature to draw definitive conclusions about his future in Lyon, because the midfielder still has time to progress and justify the expectations placed on him.
In the meantime, Marseille supporters can rejoice at not having seen this path come to fruition. For Medhi Benatia, the real verdict on the work carried out during the transfer window will be measured above all by the performance of the players he actually recruited for OM. The next few months will be decisive in assessing whether the coach's choices translate into concrete results on the field.