Everything had been agreed for weeks, nothing was opposing the of signing Yohann Pelé for Sporting Club de Bastia on a two year deal. He was expected in Corsica on June 19th for medical examinations and to sign the deal. But then, a proposal from Olympique de Marseille on Tuesday 17th June, in the evening, changed everything. Pelé is now on the Canebière as Marseille resume training just 48 hours after penning a 3 year contract with OM. What caused the turnaround? No one knows and in this poker game that is the transfer window, it is best not to linger on it.
For SCB, they must activate Plan B. After the anger stemming from the Pelé deal, President Pierre Marie Geronimi and his recruiters cross off names, making first approaches and hoping for successes. To find the successor to Landreau and then very recently Areola will not be easy. And when you consider that the goalkeeping position is the most sought after from a Bastia point of view… they must be hasty, or they will begin training on June 29th with youth team goalkeepers.
Once mentioned by the national press last week, the substitute goalkeeper of Olympique de Marseille Brice Samba will not sign for Sporting. “He is not a priority” cut said President Geronimi a few days ago. Probably deemed too weak for the #1 spot. Rightly so, given the number of matches he has played for OM in recent seasons …
Among the contenders list to replace Areola, SCB are looking for internationally established players. Guillermo Ochoa is currently at Malaga but awaiting a departure. He who made the heyday of AC Ajaccio two years ago, will probably leave Spain to benefit from a consistent game time to give him every opportunity to participate for Mexico again. This option is open, but wages are an issue. Other names include Andreas Isaksson, notably previously of Rennes and also Serbian shot-stopper Damir Kahriman, according to the Corse-Matin.
In terms of other signings, the club will probably wait for the verdict of the DNCG that examined the accounts of Sporting Club de Bastia this morning at 10am. Only after this hurdle is surpassed should the first movements begin to emerge. Former Bastia man Sadio Diallo could be the first summer signing. Having been with Rennes for two years, he has never really made a breakthrough in Brittany. His loan to Lorient last season was not famous either. It should therefore be in Corsica – ground he knows well – where he will come to revive his career. An agreement between the two clubs has been found for a return. We will wait to see if this is formalised in order to avoid another embarrassing turnaround.
While the club wants to rid of Ryad Boudebouz, there are not many offers. Willing to discuss a deal for €2M, the Sporting representatives await for movement in that direction. Finally, the confusion remains for Guillaume Gillet. His option to buy €500,000 was not activated by SCB on the 31 May. This now allows Anderlecht to negotiate with whomever it wishes to sell the player. Reims seems a possible destination for the Belgian. Olympique de Marseille also made some contacts in recent days (probably taking advantage of signing Yohann Pelé whose agent is the same as Gillet). The last echoes of La Provence show on Monday morning to “contacts cooled” between the two parties. Adding that SCB have the momentum…
