Timothy Weah, the 25-year-old United States striker, officially joined Olympique de Marseille today following a transfer from Juventus. A move that may come as a surprise for the player who trained at Paris Saint-Germain from 2014 to 2018 before signing his first professional contract there.
We know that this kind of decision can go down very badly. But players also need to be given the freedom to build their careers, and sometimes options are limited. However, in this case, Weah showed clear determination to sign with OM, which might have offended some PSG fans, given how seriously the rivalry can be taken. That said, not all players feel the same way — though as we saw recently with Serge Aurier, it can matter.
In any case, the American forward has made his choice and will return to Ligue 1. Perhaps Adrien Rabiot will feel a little less alone during the next PSG/OM match at the Parc des Princes. On Marseille’s side, the player’s clear intent to join OM seems to have already helped many fans move past his Parisian past.
That past also dates back a few years, so it’s not a direct switch — something that remains particularly rare. Still, it’s not the first time a player has joined the rival club in such a major rivalry, and it won’t be the last.
