Jordan Veretout: “I definitely wanted to leave, even though Mourinho wanted me to stay” | OneFootball

Jordan Veretout left Roma to join Marseille in exchange for a transfer fee of around €11 million plus €4.5 million in potential bonuses in the 2022 summer transfer window.

While giving an interview to Goal Italia, Veretout shed light on his transfer to the Ligue 1 club, admitting that he needed a “change of air”, even though Roma manager Jose Mourinho wanted the midfielder to stay in the Italian capital. He said:

“I spent three seasons at Roma, two and a half of them at a very high level. I was very happy and I was good on the field. Then the last six months were complicated, Mourinho rotated, had other players available and also lowered Mkhitaryan. It’s always difficult when you go from a starter to a substitute. I had to change that as well. I am 29 years old and I want to play football.

He continued:

“When Marseille came to present their project to me, I definitely wanted to leave even though Mourinho wanted me to stay, but he understood my choice to leave, to go back to France, also for my family.”