Hamburg land Marseille midfielder Bilal Nadir on three-year deal after transfer tussle

Hamburg have secured the signing of Olympique de Marseille midfielder Bilal Nadir on a three-year contract, beating competition from several European clubs for the Morocco Under-23 international.

The 22-year-old, who was a free agent after his Marseille contract expired on 30 June, completed his medical and officially joined Hamburger SV on Friday. He moves to a side that narrowly preserved their Bundesliga status last season, finishing 13th in the German top-flight table.

Nadir leaves Marseille after making 53 first-team appearances for the club since breaking through in 2023. Partly developed in the OM academy, the Nice-born central midfielder had become a regular member of the senior squad over the past campaign.

His departure adds to a significant turnover at the Stade Velodrome this summer, following the exits of Mason Greenwood, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Hamed Junior Traore.

Hamburg win crowded chase

Hamburg’s move for Nadir concludes what is described as an intense battle on the transfer market, with several clubs across Europe exploring a deal for the midfielder.

In Germany, VfB Stuttgart and Eintracht Frankfurt both showed interest and made enquiries about his situation, while La Liga side Getafe also monitored him closely.

According to exclusive information reported by Africafoot, AEK Athens were among the most serious contenders to sign the player, as clubs in different leagues sought to capitalise on his free-agent status.

Nadir’s current market valuation stands at €8m, according to Transfermarkt, underlining the scale of Hamburg’s investment in terms of sporting value despite not paying a transfer fee.

Profile of a rising midfielder

Nadir, who represents Morocco at youth international level, had been earning an annual salary of €270,000 (175,500,000 FCFA) in France prior to his move.

The central midfielder now joins a Hamburg side looking to build on their survival in the Bundesliga and stabilise their position in the top division after a challenging campaign.

Neither Hamburg nor Marseille have disclosed any further financial details of the deal, but the length of the contract underlines the German club’s long-term faith in a player regarded as one of the more promising young Moroccan midfielders in Europe.