Olympique Marseille Star's Agent Switch Puts Arsenal and Liverpool on Alert

Olympique Marseille may be thinking they have seen this movie before, after news of that Andre Ayew changed his agent. Reports indicate Ayew dropped agent Etienne Mundy in favor of Jean-Pierre Bernes. Bernes has been a thorn in Marseille’s side before when he represented Franck Ribery during the player’s move to Bayern Munich.

Ayew has been linked with the likes of Arsenal, AC Milan, Liverpool, and Bayern Munich in the past despite no formal approach for the Ghana international. Marseille will want to retain the services of Ayew, as he has been a vital cog in their attack the last few seasons. Marseille’s plans for climbing back to the top of Ligue 1 include Ayew. Despite his shoulder surgery in April, Ayew extended his contract for another season, keeping him at the Stade Velodrome until 2015.

Dede (as he is referred to) is sure to draw interest due to his skills and pedigree. The son of former Marseille star Abedi Pele, Ayew is a skilled attacker who plays primarily in the midfield. His versatility and all around play led to Ayew being named BBC’s African Footballer of the Year for 2011.

Marseille could be set to lose the bulk of their strike force if Loic Remy and Ayew both leave this summer.  The hold up to Ayew leaving Marseille may be the buyout cost in his contract.

Interested suitors may wait until the winter transfer market to make a move. This would give them time to see how he performs coming off his surgery. While there is no questions regarding his skill, paying a high price for damaged goods does not make business sense.

The change of agents may just be a change of no consequence, but it is sure to get the attention of Ayew’s admirers. Marseille is hoping to hold onto their prized asset, but if transfer history repeats itself, the former Ligue 1 champs will have to find another player to build around.