Roberto De Zerbi's Marseille signal Adrien Rabiot and make a press release to PSG, France and the remainder of Europe

The summer season switch window would possibly now be closed, however Olympique de Marseille will not be completed with making huge strikes. On Sunday they introduced that midfielder Adrien Rabiot is about to hitch as a free agent, topic to a profitable medical. The France worldwide left Juventus after the expiration of his contract and was courted by quite a few high European golf equipment, together with a number of Premier League sides, and likewise acquired profitable affords from Saudi Arabia and elsewhere. But the 29-year-old will rebound at Stade Velodrome.

It’s a enormous transfer for Rabiot, OM and Ligue 1, however it additionally sends a message to European opponents that Roberto De Zerbi is making some severe strikes with Les Phoceens after his shock summer season arrival after leaving Brighton and Hove Albion. A busy summer season has included moves for Mason Greenwood, Elye Wahi, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Neal Maupay and Ismael Kone to call only a few, however Rabiot will arguably be as huge — if not greater — than the lot as soon as he’s confirmed as Marseille’s newest midfield reinforcement.

Within the Paris region-born Les Bleus star, the Southern giants land a doubtlessly enormous determine for De Zerbi’s midfield, with an unlimited quantity of expertise for somebody who has not but turned 30 and Rabiot may show essential within the Italian molding this new-look Marseille to problem bitter rivals Paris Saint-Germain on the Championnat summit. The previous Manchester Metropolis apprentice in flip will get challenged to assist OM to return to UEFA competitors qualification, whereas staying shut sufficient to stay in France head coach Didier Deschamps’ ideas forward of the FIFA 2026 World Cup.

Nonetheless, Rabiot’s PSG previous is the place issues actually get attention-grabbing and so shocking, in addition to incendiary — he’s crossing a divide that few have completed over time and it’s one the place there is no such thing as a going again given the explosive nature of Le Classique as a rivalry. Though this isn’t a direct transfer from Paris to OM or Marseille to PSG, these two golf equipment and fanbases are as divided as ever which confirmed when Marseille-born Lucas Hernandez joined Les Parisiens final 12 months regardless of by no means having even performed for Les Olympiens.

The newest participant to essentially cross the divide of enjoying on either side was Lassana Diarra again in 2018, who joined Paris only one 12 months after leaving Marseille through Al Jazira Membership and Hatem Ben Arfa had additionally completed so in 2016 albeit with 5 years between his OM and PSG spells. You need to go all the way in which again to 2007 for the final direct change between the 2 golf equipment which was Peguy Luyindula going to the capital membership from their Southern rivals.

Another well-known names to have performed on either side of the divide embody Claude Makelele, Gabriel Heinze and Lorik Cana and the Argentine is arguably the participant who provoked the strongest response — he truly scored for either side in Le Classique and stays one among simply two gamers to take action. Rabiot will be unable to do that as he by no means scored within the grudge sport for PSG, however Les Parisiens have a behavior of seeing their former gamers come again to hang-out them so control that come October 27 at Stade Velodrome.

What units Rabiot other than most of these high-profile names is the truth that he’s a homegrown PSG product who was raised to detest OM and at one level was being groomed as potential Parisien captain materials within the earlier years underneath Qatari possession. Though Cana was additionally technically an academy product when he broke via within the early 2000s, he was not raised solely in Paris and as an alternative got here through Switzerland because of his household’s precarious scenario which owed to the Kosovo battle within the late Nineties and later represented Albania internationally.

Gamers going from one facet of the Paris-Marseille rivalry inevitably provides extra spice to the fixture and this season’s instalment of Le Classique was already intriguing sufficient given De Zerbi’s arrival and Luis Enrique’s continued transformation venture at Parc des Princes. Assuming that Rabiot completes his transfer, there’s a sturdy chance that we’re about to witness essentially the most aggressive model of this grudge sport for years — arguably because the 2004-06 flurry of OM signings from PSG which Cana was a part of together with Frederic Dehu, Fabrice Fiorese and the late Modeste M’Bami. It guarantees to be obligatory viewing.