Lille: Jean-Pierre Papin assesses the signing of Chancel Mbemba | OneFootball

Chancel Mbemba

On Monday, Chancel Mbemba signed with Lille on a one-year deal. Former OM coach Jean-Pierre Papin weighs in on the Congolese defender's arrival at Les Dogues.

A free agent this summer after his contract with OM expired, Chancel Mbemba has signed with Lille until June 2026. The deal was completed in the final hours of the summer transfer window. According to Jean-Pierre Papin, former coach of Marseille’s reserve team, LOSC have pulled off a major coup by landing the Congolese international.

"LOSC have pulled off a great move, I'm really happy for Chancel. Beyond being a top-class player, he's a fantastic guy, extremely professional, not much of a talker but always gave 100% in training, even with the youngsters. He was a pleasure to have with us. I haven't seen him since May, but physically he was in great shape, and knowing the man, he’s trained like crazy and hasn't let up this summer. He’ll need a bit of time to adapt and get up to match rhythm, but I have no worries. Giving him a mentoring role is an excellent idea—it suits him perfectly. He loves interacting with the young players, even the very youngest," Papin told L'Equipe.