Transfer Time: Much ado about Ribéry

By: Sam | January 2nd, 2007

Sure seems that tabloids and footie magazines can’t get enough of my buddy Franck Ribéry as the transfer window opens. Strongly expected to stay in Marseille until the summer, his departure is a, say, very big possibility.

I said Juventus, and they’re still going strong for him. Let’s not write off the big English clubs. And Bayern was clamoring for him all of last season.

This week, another prominent club with deep pockets joined the We Want Ribéry Club.

The renowned Spanish newspaper Marcaoffered Real Madrid supporters a survey about whom they would like to see join the Casa Blanca in David Beckham’s fading stead. No less than 72% answered they’d quite like Marseille’s number 7 on their side. What’s more, announced Marca, judging by the French club’s stubborn president and the simply high stakes of young talents so far, the asking price would have to be a minimum of a paltry 22 million euros. And you can bet Marseille will not be shy about asking politely for more.

And if Scarface is going to part with his adoptive city and team, there’s going to be a vacancy to fill. This vacancy is all but taken care of. Strasbourg’s (Ligue 2) Salim Arrache, an Algerian international gave his consent to joining Marseille this month, his talent deserving more than a spot in the lesser division. The tall and nifty winger agreed to terms with the head honchos in Marseille this week, saying he was excited to join the storied club.

Said Arrache (translated from French): When I assisted to Marseille v. Saint-Étienne, I got shivers contemplating the fact that I would be running on that pitch wearing the white shirt. Beforehand, I had contacts with Marseille, Lille, Saint-Étienne, but I got back on track with Strasbourg and I’ve decided to turn the page after five great years there. Now it’s my time to prove that Salim Arrache didn’t come to watch the others play.

With Marseille’s budget taken into consideration and uncertainty on the transfer front, Arrache’s imminent arrival is somewhat of a relief to Marseille fans.