Marseille: Benatia regrets the failure of the Neil El Aynaoui deal

The former OM sporting director admits the Moroccan midfielder was a target.

Africa 29 June 2026 at 02:32

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Marseille: Benatia regrets the failure of the Neil El Aynaoui deal

Olympique de Marseille had Neil El Aynaoui on their radar before his move from RC Lens. This was confirmed by Medhi Benatia, the club’s former sporting director, as he looked back on a transfer saga that ultimately never materialized.

According to Benatia, Marseille was highly interested in the 24-year-old midfielder’s profile. However, Lens’s financial demands quickly brought negotiations to a halt. AS Roma eventually secured his signature for a reported fee of €23.5 million.

🚨 MEDHI BENATIA 🇲🇦 TRIED TO BRING NEIL EL AYNAOUI TO OM! 😳💙🤍

The former Marseille sporting director revealed that he attempted to sign the Moroccan midfielder 👀

“He was too expensive for us,” he admitted, praising a player who combines both quality and work rate 🔥💰 pic.twitter.com/w3ca2iUCTK
— SleeperFootballNews (@SleeperFootNews) June 28, 2026

Benatia also expressed his surprise at the limited playing time the player has received in Italy. He believes Neil El Aynaoui has all the attributes to succeed at the highest level, thanks to his technical ability, work rate, and capacity to cover ground. Still under contract with AS Roma until 2030, the Moroccan continues to attract interest from several top European clubs—a testament to his high stock despite a mixed debut season in Serie A.