The sight of Nayef Aguerd lining up a speculative 25-yard drive, and watching it deflect into the back of the FC Lorient net on his Marseille debut, might have had a few West Ham United fans wondering when they would benefit from such good fortune.
If there is such thing as karma, well it is yet to strike the Morocco international even if he was ruled out of Tuesday’s Champions League opener against Real Madrid due to a concussion.
Nayef Aguerd reportedly refused to feature during that 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest just before the transfer window closed on September 1st. The defender got his wish, too, although West Ham did make £17.5 million from French giants Marseille when a deadline day deal was agreed.
A very impressive bit of business, indeed.
Though as if a debut clean sheet was not enough – Aguerd needed that, you’d expect, after West Ham United conceded eight times across his first two appearances of 2025/26 – Lady Luck was clearly on his side last Friday night.
Aguerd’s ambitious stoppage-time shot took a mighty deflection on its way into the Lorient net.
And Roberto de Zerbi, having also secured the services of former Hammers left-back Emerson Palmieri, believes he now has a squad capable of combining European and continental exploits.
Roberto de Zerbi explains Marseille’s West Ham United swoop for Nayef Aguerd and Emerson Palmieri
If West Ham follow up their Carabao Cup defeat at Wolves with a third-round exit from the FA Cup, the Londoners will play only 40 matches during 2025/26.
De Zerbi, in contrast, is targeting a minimum of 50. If Marseille are to hit such a target, they will likely have to go deep in the Champions League or the domestic cups.
Yet, the outspoken former Brighton and Hove Albion coach believes he now has the depth required after Emerson bid an emotional farewell to the London Stadium, and after Matt O’Riley, Benjamin Pavard and the aforementioned Aguerd also arrived in the final few days of August.
“The club had a great transfer window and the team is very strong,” the spiky De Zerbi smiles in a rare moment of unabashed positivity. “[The Lorient win was] like the first league match, with a lot of new players playing together for the first time
Unfortunately, it’s already the 4th matchday and we’ve already lost two matches. We have to come back and we don’t have much time to get to know each other. But having strong players helps reduce the time.
“Pavard , Aguerd, O’Riley, they are very strong players, they understand things quickly. There is a new atmosphere. We took strong but also enthusiastic players. Aguerd, Pavard, O’Riley, Emerson, [Arthur] Vermeeren, [Facundo] Medina, [Igor] Paixao…
“We have a lot of players who arrived or who returned this week. They brought the enthusiasm and positivity that we needed.”
Former Brighton coach explains Emerson’s role at L’OM
While Aguerd marked his debut with a goal, joining Pavard, Angel Gomes and Mason Greenwood on the scoresheet, former Lyon left-back Emerson Palmieri will have to wait until next weekend at the earliest for his first start back in Ligue 1.
Marseille icon Cesar Azpilicueta spoke warmly about ex-Chelsea teammate Emerson ahead of his bargain move to the Stade Velodrome.
De Zerbi does not appear to see him as a readymade starter, though. Rather, the kind of experienced, versatile operator who can provide competition and versatility throughout a gruelling campaign.
“We have Emerson, who is a strong player and can play that role [in a back three or a back five],” De Zerbi adds. “We hope to play 50 games this year. It takes a lot of players to play 50 games.”
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