Olympique de Marseille have a concrete lead to strengthen their attack in the final days of the transfer window. According to L'Équipe, Karl Toko Ekambi has held talks with Bruno Genesio's staff and has agreed in principle to sign for the Marseille club.
The Cameroon international has been a free agent since his loan spell at Qatar's Al-Arabi ended. At this late stage of the transfer market, that status works in his favor: several European clubs traditionally sign free agents once the official transfer window has closed.
To win over Marseille's management, the former Lyon player is reportedly willing to accept a salary well below what he earned in previous spells, a pay cut described as "particularly modest, even token" given his standing as a confirmed Cameroon international.
Able to play both as a center-forward and left winger, Toko Ekambi would give Bruno Genesio an extra attacking option following the summer departures of Amine Gouiri, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Mason Greenwood, which have noticeably thinned Marseille's forward line.
The move has not yet been made official by either party. France's summer transfer window closed on Tuesday, September 1 at 8 p.m., which means Marseille must finalize the deal under a separate regulatory framework reserved for players without a club, distinct from the standard transfer window.
Trained in Lyon before spells at Villarreal and in Qatar, Toko Ekambi would, if the move goes through, return to a French league he knows well, joining a Marseille side competing on several fronts this season.
