Aguerd stays at OM as Real Sociedad deal collapses

Nayef Aguerd's transfer to Real Sociedad has collapsed just as it seemed done. According to L'Équipe, Thursday night everything was in place: a €2 million loan with a non-mandatory purchase option worth €17 million. The Olympique de Marseille defender had already passed his medical examination on Wednesday and was just waiting to travel to San Sebastián.

But at the final moment, the deal fell apart. The Basque press, citing Real Sociedad's account, reports that Aguerd did not convince during the different stages of the medical examination. The center-back underwent surgery in March to treat persistent groin problems, and apparently that raised concerns among the Basque club's medical staff.

Doubts linger over his fitness

What's striking is that Olympique de Marseille insists the player is in excellent physical condition. The two sides are giving different accounts of what went wrong, which has reignited concerns about the defender's status following his mid-season surgery.