Football
Exclusive: Marseille Close in on Ayoub El Kaabi After Agreeing Pre-Contract Terms with Olympiacos Star
Marseille close to signing Ayoub El Kaabi from Olympiacos, as he heads to the African Cup of Nations. The Moroccan striker is a proven goalscorer and could be a hit in one of Europe's top leagues. Marseille believe they have secured their man to replace the 33-year-old's current contract ending next summer.
Olympiacos FC v Qarabag FK - UEFA Europa League 2024/25 League Phase MD8 by Tullio Puglia - UEFA | Getty Images
Marseille are close to signing a pre-agreement with Ayoub El Kaabi, SportsBoom can exclusively reveal.
The French club have been chasing the Greek Super League top scorer for a long time and our sources have been told they believe they have got their man.
Olympiacos have been desperate to get the striker to sign a contract extension at the club.
But talks between the league leaders and the player have stalled ahead of the Moroccan international heading to the African Cup of Nations.
El Kaabi has scored 12 goals in 13 league games this term to help the club remain top of the table this season.
The player's current deal ends next summer whilst El Kaabi will be at the World Cup with Morocco and he is free to sign a pre-contract with a new club next month.
El Kaabi is the highest paid player at the Greek club and turns 33 in June.
Olympiacos blocked moves for the player in the summer, preferring to potentially lose him for free than cashing in on him with a year left on his deal.
Prolific Goal Getter
El Kaabi has been a proven goalscorer throughout his career and has no doubts he can be a hit in one of Europe's top leagues.
He started his career in Morocco and during the two seasons in the country, with RAC and RS Berkane, he netted 37 times in 58 games.
A spell in China, where he scored nine in 28, was his worst stint to date.
He returned to Casablanca, the city of his birth, and scored 22 goals in 38 appearances before moving to Turkey in in 2021 with Hatayspor.
El Kaabi scored 26 in 53 for the club, but was forced to find a new home after an earthquake in 2023 saw the club withdraw from the league due to their quarters collapsing.
He briefly went to Al Sadd before joining Olympiacos in 2023 and scoring 47 league goals in 73 games as well as being the Conference League top scorer in 2023/24 and joint Europa League top scorer last season.
Shane is an experienced sports journalist with over a decade on the front line, covering everything from football to horse racing. A familiar face in the snooker pressroom, his work regularly appears in the Daily Mirror, Daily Express, and Daily Star, alongside SportsBoom.
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