Marseille Football: 5 Players Who Would Improve Didier Deschamps' Current Squad

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Everyone knows right now that in France, PSG have all the money.

No one else is capable of competing with them financially, and, as teams like OM are beginning to find out, it’s getting harder and harder to compete with them on the pitch.

At the same time, though, a number of players still out there—and affordable ones, too—would improve the current OM lineup without the need for the sort of money that the Qataris are pumping into Paris at the moment.

Here’s a look at some of the more realistic targets.

Ryad Boudebouz, Sochaux

Ryad Boudebouz
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The left winger has been exceptional with Sochaux, linking up with their other rising star Marvin Martin, and will look to move sooner rather than later to get his career moving.

The only problem might be that the two make such a great pair, and Boudebouz might well want to go wherever Martin does, possibly to England.

Olivier Giroud, Montpellier

For Giroud, think Gignac from a couple of years ago, only perhaps even more dangerous in front of goal.

Lethal in the air, Giroud is the top scorer with eight goals in the league this season, and was recently called up by national manager Laurent Blanc for the friendlies against the USA and Belgium.

Alain Traoré, Auxerre

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If Boudebouz is tempted away elsewhere, OM could do a lot worse than to take a look at Auxerre’s Burkinabé winger, who’s already scored an impressive six goals in the league this season.

Alex Ferguson might not have liked the look of him a few years back when he was on trial with Manchester United, but this is a player who’s destined to end up playing in the Champions League someday—OM should make sure it's with them.

Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, Montpellier

Given that Montpellier are up in second place at the moment, it shouldn’t come as any surprise to see another of their players feature on this list, and Yanga-Mbiwa is quite possibly the pick of the bunch.

At just 22 years of age, he’s on the fringe of the French national side, and alongside the impressive Nicolas N’Koulou, so far OM’s only good bit of business from the last transfer window, he could form a central defensive pairing that Marseille could build on for years to come. Mbiwa is versatile as well, and is equally comfortable playing at right-back.

Cheikh M'Bengué

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With Djimi Traoré (yes, the same Djimi Traoré who scored that own goal playing for Liverpool against Burnley) already drafted in to provide cover for the less than convincing Jeremy Morel, a summer arrival from Lorient, the left side of the defense is an obvious weak spot at the moment for Marseille.

M’Bengué is another player who, despite his relatively young age (just 23), has looked assured at left-back in Ligue 1, will only improve as a player in the future and won’t cost OM over the odds to sign.