OM reached agreements for the arrivals at the club of Souleymane Diawara and Edouard Cissé. These transfers remain subject to the players undergoing the traditional medical visit. Presentation:

Two days after having reached an agreement with Lucho Gonzalez and Porto and the signing of Fomen, OM have once again accelerated their recruitment with two agreements made official by OM.net on Thursday afternoon. Once again there is a big signing with the agreement reached between OM, Bordeaux and the defender Souleymane Diawara. Once he has passed the medical visit, he will sign a four year contract. With his profile, the athletic Senegalese central defender replies perfectly to the criteria of a strong defender as well as being pacy and able to move forward quickly. At 30 years of age, he is at the peak of his art and was one of the main reasons Bordeaux won the title of French champions in 2009.
The other agreement is for Edouard Cissé, who was out of contract and will go through a medical visit before signing a two year contract. A more technical than physical defensive midfielder, Edouard Cissé is very much a sentinel thanks to his height and his great first touch on the ball. In Istanbul since 2007 at Besiktas, he was part of the double winning side last season.
Defensive strength, technique in the middle of the park, two criteria which will bring a real extra to OM’s play. The «ammunition that Didier (Deschamps) needed » as José Anigo said on Tuesday.

Souleymane Diawara: Agreement, for a four year contract, subject to a medical examination

Coming through the ranks at Le Havre where he experienced th elite and the L2 during his five seasons there, Souleymane, brother of the former Monaco player Djibril Diawara, has become over the years one of the most respected defenders in the L1. A reputation built up first of all at Sochaux where he was one of the main players in a generation which included Frau, Pedretti and Monsoreau. International with Senegal, his performances brought him to England and the Premier League in 2006 where he spent one season at Charlton.
Then, Laurent Blanc made him one of his senior players at Bordeaux as of the 2007-08 season. There he was able to show the full scale of his qualities, strength, pace and presence in the tackle, which brought him a title of French Champion in 2009. After getting through his medical examination, he will be able to use his talent for the benefit of OM where he will be reunited with his friend Mamadou Niang.

Edouard Cissé : Agreement, for a two year contract, subject to a medical examination

Coming through the ranks at Pau, his home town team, Edouard Cissé became very quickly a key element in the PSG side at the end of the 90’s and beginning of 2000. He was quick to show his passing and attacking qualities despite his young age, at the same time remaining a solid defensive midfielder.  
After a first loan at West Ham (2002-03), the Senegalese player played probably the best season of his career in 2003-04. On loan at AS Monaco under the orders of Didier Deschamps, he is one of the key figures in an ASM that would finish 2nd in the L1, overtaken at the death by OL, but also who would put in an exceptional run in the Champions League. A run which saw the new OM coach’s players inflict an 8-3 defeat away to Deportivo La Coruna (with a goal from Cissé) or eliminate one after the other Real Madrid and Chelsea before losing in the final at the hands of Porto.
After returning to Paris in 2004, he put in three great seasons where he was ever present in the starting line-up. In 2007, he took up the adventure of heading to Turkey and the Istanbul based club Besiktas. He would face OM in the Champions League group phase in 2007-08. Last season, he played 29 matches with the Turkish champions who completed a double by winning the National cup competition. Out of contract, he returns to France rejoining his former coach at OM.