Balerdi, Paixao, Timber: OM’s hot dossiers in review (L’Équipe)

According to L’Équipe, several fronts are still open at OM, with Leonardo Balerdi at the center of the news. The 27-year-old Argentine defender, who has 11 caps, is close to making the move to Italy: this Saturday he is expected to undergo his medical and then sign with AS Roma, as both clubs continue to finalize the deal.

Per the French paper, the agreement would be a loan including an option to buy, which could become mandatory. From a tactical standpoint, Balerdi would be positioned in Roma’s three-centre-back system, in line with Gian Piero Gasperini’s approach—close to the role he experienced at Marseille under Igor Tudor in 2022-2023.

The prerequisite for signings

L’Équipe also underlines a point made by OM’s sporting director, Grégory Lorenzi: before the club can bring in new players, it needs to sell/exit several current squad members to make room.

Paixao and Timber too

The same roundup from L’Équipe lists the dossiers for Paixao and Timber as part of the club’s “hot” negotiating track. For now, the specifics of those two talks sit alongside the Balerdi case, with progress tied to the departures first.