The love story between Olympique de Marseille and Leonardo Balerdi is reaching its final chapter, but the last pages are being written in financial agony for the Phocaean club. While the separation between the Argentine center-back and the club is now confirmed behind the scenes, a staggering revelation about a rejected XXL offer has exposed the staggering revenue shortfall plaguing the Olympic side.
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Marseille’s masterplan shattered by injury
After mutual agreement between the Marseille board and the Argentine international, the decision to part ways this summer was finalized. To maximize the transfer’s value, the club had pinned its hopes on a global stage: the 2026 World Cup. The leadership anticipated that heightened exposure in the Albiceleste jersey would drive bidding up. Fate, however, intervened in the worst possible way. Just before the tournament, a severe calf injury sidelined the 27-year-old, forcing his withdrawal and instantly derailing the club’s financial strategy.
Balerdi rejects Leverkusen’s lucrative bid
The regrets run deeper still. Marseille had already locked in a financial windfall before the transfer window even opened. Insider accounts confirm that Bayer Leverkusen made a concrete move in the spring, presenting a firm offer worth €25 million, complete with easily achievable add-ons, to secure the services of the former Borussia Dortmund defender.
Defying all expectations, Leonardo Balerdi himself vetoed the deal. Unenthused by the prospect of returning to the Bundesliga, the Villa Mercedes native dismissed Leverkusen’s proposal outright.
Market value crashes by €10 million
This bold personal decision by the center-back has dealt a crushing blow to Marseille’s finances. Between the rejected spring bid and his World Cup withdrawal, the player’s market value has plummeted in just weeks.
Facing market realities and the urgency to replenish club coffers, the Olympic side has been forced to slash its demands drastically. Now, the club is settling for a mere €15 million to release Balerdi—a brutal markdown of €10 million that stings at a time when every euro counts on the Canebière.
