Transfer ban announcement will affect Arsenal | OneFootball

Olympique de Marseille have been hit with a transfer ban, which could affect the futures of a few Arsenal players in the coming months.

L’Equipe (via GFFN) report that Marseille have received a two-window transfer ban in relation to the signing of Pape Gueye in 2020.

The midfielder signed a contract with Watford, but he joined Marseille anyway, and both player and club have now been punished for that.

Gueye has received a four-month suspension from playing, and Marseille have to pay Watford €2.5m as well as their transfer ban.

Both clubs are taking the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Marseille are hoping to turn the ban into a suspended sentence, whilst Watford want closer to €10m than €2.5m.

If the ban stands, there are three Arsenal players that could affect: William Saliba, Matteo Guendouzi, and Sead Kolasinac.

Saliba and Guendouzi are both on loan with Marseille, and that wouldn’t change. But it complicates a permanent transfer for either of them in the summer.

Guendouzi would likely be fine as his deal already contains an obligation to buy at the end of the season. But if Saliba wants to stay at Marseille permanently, they’d probably need to rush a deal through this month.

Kolasinac has also been linked with a move to Marseille in the January transfer window. The ban doesn’t come into effect until the summer, so it wouldn’t prevent Kolasinac’s move, but it may well have an impact on the buying club’s strategy.

Suddenly they need to use January to do their summer business, and it’s hard to say how that will change their views on signing Kolasinac.