Olympique de Marseille have secured the loan signing of Spanish goalkeeper Pau Lopez from AS Roma. The 26-year-old custodian will spend the entire 2021/22 season with the 1993 Champions League winners, who continue to build a promising-looking squad for the next Ligue 1 campaign.Lopez will add much-needed competition for the goalkeeper’s place, which the veteran Frenchman Steve Mandanda has held for 13 seasons.OFFICIAL: Marseille have signed goalkeeper Pau Lopez from Roma on a season-long loan. pic.twitter.com/ELeNTpuKvG— Transfer News Central (@TransferNewsCen) July 8, 2021 The French giants announced that the Spanish shot-stopper joins Marseille on loan for $600,000 with an option to buy in the following season set at $14.25 million. However, after twenty appearances, an obligation will be triggered, making the deal permanent.Lopez never managed to fully showcase his skills consistently at Roma. Over the two seasons spent in the capital, the goalkeeper’s performances varied greatly in terms of quality. The shot-stopper was rarely able to provide much security to a team that desperately needed it to reach Champions League football.Following a shoulder injury sustained in the Europa League clash between Manchester United and Roma, the Spaniard will now have the chance to prove himself on a different stage in Ligue 1.⚪️🔵 @konradjr took in his first training session as an Olympien today 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/fLJwAb0OZ9— Olympique de Marseille 🇬🇧 🇺🇸 (@OM_English) July 9, 2021 The arrival of the former Real Betis and Espanyol player adds to recent purchases of Brazilian midfielder Gerson for $27.5 million, Borussia Dortmunds Argentinean defender Leonardo Balerdi for $12.1 million, Barcelona’s young winger Konrad de la Fuente for $3.3 million and loans of Arsenal’s Matteo Guendouzi and Roma’s Cengiz Under. These players could propel the Olympians to a decent season under the leadership of Argentinean coach Jorge Sampaoli, who came in to replace Andres Villas-Boas earlier this year.
