Determined to strengthen itself in the midfield during this winter window, Olympique de Marseille is about to formalize the arrival of Jean Onana, in the form of a loan with an option to purchase. Under contract until June 2027 with Besiktas, the 23-year-old midfielder is already raising many questions. Focus on a profile alternating the good and the less good in recent months.
Olympique de Marseille, which has just qualified for the round of 16 of the Coupe de France after its narrow victory (1-0) against the amateurs of Thionville Lusitanos , has its first reinforcement during this winter transfer window. If the Olympian leaders have finally decided to close the Lucien Agoumé track - the young Inter Milan player is expected at Sevilla FC in the coming hours - they should soon announce the arrival of Jean Onana (23 years old) in from Besiktas . Under contract with the Turkish team until June 2027, the Cameroonian midfielder (10 caps) will, in fact, join the Olympian team in the form of a loan with option to purchase . Quickly commented on on social networks, this operation carried out by the upper echelons of Marseille raises several questions. What makes you wonder if OM is doing a great deal by getting their hands on the native of Yaoundé.
An irregular route, a praised profile!
With this in mind and before weighing the pros and cons, it is appropriate to recall the background of the person concerned. Trained in Cameroon at the Nkufo Academy before joining the youth teams of Leixões SC in Portugal, Onana finally signed with LOSC in January 2020 for a check for 2 million euros. In the north of France, the 1m89 right-hander had a difficult experience, only playing a small Ligue 1 match . Loaned the following summer to Royal Excel Mouscron, the Cameroonian international then got back on track, scoring two goals (one assist) in 28 Jupiler Pro League matches. Not retained by the Dogues at the end of his loan, he subsequently signed with the Girondins de Bordeaux. Rather interesting in Gironde colors (3 goals and 2 goals in 26 matches in all competitions), the current number 71 of the Aigles Noirs then offered himself a new ambitious challenge with RC Lens.
Transferred for 4 million euros in September 2022, Onana gradually gained strength under the orders of Franck Haise. Restricted to a substitute role at the start of the season, he ultimately actively participated in the Sang et Or's direct qualification for the Champions League (4 starts in the last 7 matches of the 2022-2023 financial year). Author of 23 matches in all competitions with the residents of Stade Bollaert, Onana did not, however, remain with the Lensois club. Transferred to Besiktas last summer, the person concerned however saw his experience in Turkey turn into a nightmare. Very little used in the championship (4 small matches), he was still able to continue in the European Cup and in particular in the Conference League where he played 6 matches. But a few weeks ago, Besiktas decided to sideline him along with several other players from the squad.
An adventure in Türkiye causing doubt…
“It is announced that Vincent Aboubakar, Valentin Rosier, Eric Bailly, Rachid Ghezzal and Jean Onana have been excluded from the team due to poor performances and incompatibilities within the team ,” announced the Turkish team. Since then, the name of the former Bordeaux midfielder had been mentioned for a return to France and it is therefore at OM that the versatile midfielder should be able to get back on track. A loan desired by Pablo Longoria and his teams which has not failed to provoke reactions for several hours. If numerous compilations are emerging on social networks to try to prove the value of the player, many observers doubt the added value of such an arrival. Not selected for the next African Cup of Nations and in great difficulty with Besiktas, the one who had already missed the 2022 World Cup in Qatar does not really seem to be unanimous. However, his profile appears today as a great opportunity for OM.
Orphan of Pape Gueye, Azzedine Ounahi and Amine Harit, summoned for the CAN, but also of Valentin Rongier, injured and away from the field for several weeks, the current sixth in Ligue 1 will be able to rely on a robust, valuable player in duels and very comfortable with the ball, especially under pressure. A defensive midfielder, capable of playing a step higher, Onana will also bring his technical quality, his projection capabilities and could therefore constitute an important link in the Marseille eleven. Decisive in the last meters of the opponent, the next Olympian recruit can also boast of great experience in the French championship. Rarely injured since the start of his career, his mastery of French remains, moreover, an interesting element with a view to good integration into the Marseille locker room. Despite everything, if the arrival of such a profile - used and progressing within a Lensois collective that was more than attractive last season - can arouse certain optimism, other points somewhat tarnish this possible enthusiasm.
An additional solution for Gattuso, an interesting financial deal!
Never considered an essential framework during her various experiences, Onana is especially emerging from a more than chaotic six months in Turkey. Sidelined with Vincent Aboubakar, Eric Bailly and Rachid Ghezzal for Besiktas in December, the Cameroonian has not played since November 12 and an express appearance against Basaksehir (coming on for the last minute of the match). Therefore, if his state of mind is questionable, his physical condition is also puzzling. With 10 appearances in all competitions and only 188 minutes spent on Turkish pitches, will Onana be ready to face the intensity of Ligue 1 and take on the hellish schedule of OM, engaged in three different tables? Nothing is less certain. With this in mind, it is difficult to see him starting as a starter this Friday against Racing Club de Strasbourg on the 18th day of the championship. Furthermore, the question of his integration into Gennaro Gattuso's system also remains.
When he arrives at Canebière, will Onana be considered a starter in the eyes of the Italian technician or a simple complement? Difficult, for the moment, to answer this, especially since his role in the Olympian squad will also depend on the tactics chosen by the former Valencia coach (4-3-3, 3-5-2? ). One thing is certain, in the event of tenure, Onana should be aligned as the first raiser, just behind Geoffrey Kondogbia and Jordan Veretout, often present a notch higher lately. On the other hand, if he is a replacement, Gattuso could favor a 4-3-3 with Veretout, Kondogbia and the young Bilal Nadir (20 years old) in the midfield. No matter, this future arrival responds to a priority for OM: to strengthen this environment, depopulated by the CAN and physical problems. “We need an alternative to Lodi and a midfielder. We will have to see what the transfer window offers. After five or six matches, when the players return from the CAN, we will have a squad of 28 or 29 players. If we don't make any sales, we risk having this squad and I don't like managing so many players ,” assured Gattuso in this regard at a press conference.
With a player also accustomed to taking a place on the bench and therefore playing this role of second knife, the Marseille technician will therefore offer himself an additional option. A good omen for the Phocaeans who are preparing to host Strasbourg (January 12) then AS Monaco (January 27) before traveling to Olympique Lyonnais (February 4). Let us point out, moreover, that this deal is of an interesting nature for OM on a financial level. In a transfer window where the Phocéens already have solid bases, this loan with purchase option does not commit Marseille management to a long-term future, in the event of failure. Promising due to his profile, Jean Onana will now have to prove that he can quickly adapt to the Olympian environment, while being operational as quickly as possible, both mentally and physically. This is, perhaps, the main fear of the residents of the Orange Vélodrome…