Marseille Sporting Director Hails Inter Milan New Boy: ‘Great Player & Person, I Wasn’t Always Easy On Him’ | OneFootball

Marseille Sporting Director Mehdi Benatia says that new Inter Milan signing Luis Henrique is “a great player and person.”

Speaking in the official “Sans jamais rien lacher” documentary, via FCInterNews, Benatia also admitted that he “wasn’t always easy on” the Brazilian.

Inter Milan signed winger Luis Henrique from Marseille this summer.

The Nerazzurri had identified the 23-year-old as a target long before the start of the transfer window. They had reportedly already started to sound out a move in the spring.

Henrique is a player who Inter reportedly see as an ideal backup to Denzel Dumfries on the right flank.

Furthermore, the Brazilian has pace and, above all, dribbling ability. That sort of one-on-one flair has not always been present in Inter’s squad in recent seasons.

Marseille Sporting Director Benatia: “Luis Henrique A Great Player & Person”

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – JUNE 21: Luis Henrique #11 of FC Internazionale Milano controls the ball while under pressure from Yoichi Naganuma #88 of Urawa Red Diamonds during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 group E match between FC Internazionale Milano and Urawa Red Diamonds at Lumen Field on June 21, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)

Marseille Sporting Director Mehdi Benatia commented that “Luis has a great story.”

“He’s a player who Pablo [Longoria, Marseille President] always believed in.”

“When I arrived in November, he was returning from Botafogo,” Benatia said of Henrique. “And I asked Pablo what he would do with him.”

“He replied that he’d always liked him. I asked about his mentality, and he said that he was a great guy.”

“So I had his agents come to my office with him. I said ‘I wanted to see you because I know who you are, but I want to know what you can give me.'”

“He replied: ‘Okay, no problem. I’m always available – even if I have to play fifteen, twenty minutes, that’s fine.”

“Then he played at home against Monaco,” said Benatia. “And he had a memorable match.”

“I looked at Pablo. And I said, ‘We can’t let him go.'”

“So we extended his contract,” said the Marseille Sporting Director. “And I told his agents we can work on it, me here and them behind the scenes.”

“If the player is serious then he can join a top club the way I see it.”

Benatia said that “above all, he’s a good guy.”

“Even though I had moments during the season where I wasn’t very easy on him, he deserves to have a great career.”