The double transfer that nearly never happened, Georges-Kevin N’Koudou going to Tottenham and Clinton N’Jie moving the other way to Marseille, is thankfully done, and everyone seems pleased.
N’Koudou gets his dream move to England, and the former Lyon forward now gets a chance to relaunch his career after a failed season in London, marred by a frustrating injury.
However, as you well know, it wasn’t all smooth sailing, and the transfer was delayed for no apparent reason.
As the weeks went by, talk of other clubs being interested in the player started to emerge, including his former team Lyon.
Speaking to La Provence, relayed by Foot Mercato, ahead of what could be his first appearance for Marseille against Nice, the player explained exactly what happened.
He said: “Lyon weren’t the only interested club. Lyon came in, it’s true, but there were other clubs who showed interest. It took some time, but I’m happy and proud to be here, to wear OM’s shirt. I certainly wasn’t relaxing until the 31st of August.”
Finally getting the deal over the line on transfer deadline day, Marseille will now have to ensure he performs, mostly to win over the fans, who might not be so pleased to have an ex-Lyon player in their side.
With Marseille-Lyon next week, things could get heated if he plays and doesn’t meet the fans’ very high expectations.
