Marseille preparing for a Leonardo Balerdi departure in 2026 | OneFootball

According to a report from L’Équipe, Olympique de Marseille are already searching for a centre-back to prepare for a potential departure of club captain Leonardo Balerdi (26) in 2026. Les Olympiens are reportedly targeting a ‘promising’ centre back in order to prepare for life after an exit for the Argentine International in the summer of 2026. Les Phocéens were previously reported to be progressing in talks for Club Bruges defender Joel Ordóñez (21) – according to RMC Sport journalist Fabrice Hawkins. The Ecuadorian centre-back is under contract in Belgium until 2027, and is viewed as a long-term prospect for the Provence region club. Marseille have already sealed the arrivals of Lens defender Facundo Medina, and England U21 international CJ Egan-Riley in the same position, but are actively looking for at least one more central defender before the end of the transfer window.Balerdi had just spoken during a pre-match press conference attended by Get French Football News where he revealed that he did not know initially whether he would stay another season at OM, and that he wants to leave the club “on a high”. “When the season ended, I didn’t know [whether I was leaving or not]. When I started thinking about it, I realised there were a lot of things I like. I love the club and I decided I wanted to go out on a high. The club is on the right track and I decided I wanted to stay. We have a lot of ambition.”GFFN | George Boxall – Reporting from La Commanderie, Marseille