On the sidelines of the presentation of the latest recruits of Olympique de Marseille, the president of the Phocaean club Pablo Longoria answered on the uncertain situations of the strikers Bamba Dieng and Cédric Bakambu. And in passing, the Spaniard confirmed negotiations for an extension of midfielder Valentin Rongier.
Dieng at Tudor’s disposal, Bakambu warned
Regarding Dieng, the Spaniard has not completely closed the door to a departure with the possibility of selling him in League 1 as a joker or in some markets still open (Belgium, Portugal, Turkey). However, the Senegalese will immediately return to the squad at the disposal of coach Igor Tudor. “Everyone knows the situation of Bamba. As at the last press conference, the player had to return from Nice after a problem on two different medical views of the clubs. It is a player of OM, we will study the situation well. He returns, so he must be available to the coach. It is a player of the first team, it is up to him to prove to the coach and make his place in the team, “replied Longoria.
Like the African champion, Cedric Bakambu was not included in the list of players selected for the Champions League and will have to work hard to get some playing time. And if his absence for this European competition has made talk, the situation was visibly clear with the former Villarreal striker for several weeks. “On the situation of Cedric, there is also another player, Isaak Toure, who could not be registered because of limitations related to the sanctions of financial fair play. (…) We communicated well with the player, with his entourage, in relation to his position in the project. He was going to lose playing time after the hierarchy established during the preparation. He knew it perfectly, insisted the Olympic boss. He decided to stay and we are happy because we have an additional offensive solution. In life, we must always be very clear with everyone. It is a player in addition to OM.”
Rongier soon rewarded?
If the futures of the two men remain undecided in the long term, Longoria held a completely different speech for Valentin Rongier. As predicted in recent weeks, the OM boss wants to extend the contract of the former Nantes, currently bound until June 2024 and indisputable starter under Tudor since the beginning of the season. “He is a player who embodies all the values of OM, requirement and adaptability. Last season, in a new position, he had a great season. To adapt to the new model, he was the first to be receptive. His attitude in training to listen and implement the requests of the coach should be noted, it is exemplary. We also saw how he adapted to Auxerre, on the last minutes, to make the piston on the right”, appreciated the former manager of FC Valencia.
“He embodies all the values we want to have in the workforce. We started talking during the summer to continue the adventure together. In life, when people deserve, you have to give. When a player allows you to have results, as a club, it is respectful to be up to it and to try to continue together because he has become one of the most important players in the squad. After that it is negotiations, but he must be put in a position in the locker room on the salary that must be equal to his contribution on the field, “he finished. Even after the closing of the market, Longoria still has important files to manage!
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