The deal struck with Amine Erbati has opened OM's summer transfer market. This was the moment for the president to speak to us about the Moroccan defender and the clubs policy about the forthcoming recruitment.

The agreement with Amine Erbati was made official on Monday. What is the perspective of this arrival?
Erbati is a good bargain. He is a Moroccan international who has shown the qualities that attracted our scouts. Seeing as the price was not excessive we decided to take him. We made an agrrement with his club and with him. Now all that is required is the famous medical.

What will OM’s recruitment philosophy be during the transfer window?
I think that has been discussed all over, first of all we want to keep ahold of the backbone of the team. We don’t want to shake things up greatly, but add a certain amount of quality to that which already exists. That is the first commandement. All that means that we have to think about which positions we need to strengthen.
Concerning this, we will be making some changes in the centre of defence, even if that is not synonymous with a departure for those who are already in place. Some will go, but not all the players in that sector.
Then we will work on the midfield depending on whether or not anyone leaves. M’Bami looks like he wants to move on  ; He is under contract to us and let me just take the opportunity to repeat that departures are not solely down to the players, but down to the club. A player under contract is a player under contract and can only leave if the club allows it. Which is not the case of a number of players who I hear would like to move on.
Eventual attacking reinforcements were then spoken of. People have spoken about Kim, Koné or Ben Arfa. Yes, they are players that interest our staff, but nothing concrete as been done by us vis-à-vis their clubs, that would allow us to make these moves happen. At the moment we are evaluating the situation, making in inventory. It’s difficult to look to the future or to make concrete declarations.»

How do you think will be leaving?
I often say that no player is untransferable. Because of this I stay up to speed with any evolution relative to the squad. However, you can understand that players like Ziani, Zenden, Faty or Carrasso who have not had as much playing time as they would have liked. These are players who can legitimately ask for a transfer. I’m ready to listen to them. We won’t stop them moving at any cost. We’ll be thinking about what they want to do and what they propose to us. But it’s true that players who have not been playing are more susceptible to leave than the guys how have been considered first choice.