Nayef Aguerd left out of Marseille friendly amid expected Real Sociedad move

Nayef Aguerd was omitted from Olympique de Marseille’s squad for Sunday’s friendly against Athletic Bilbao, with the Morocco international reportedly close to returning to Real Sociedad.

Marseille manager Bruno Genesio left Aguerd out of the match as negotiations over a move to the Spanish club continue. The defender’s expected transfer is understood to be one of the reasons for his absence from the pre-season fixture.

Marseille were leading Athletic Bilbao 2-1 in the match at the time of the report.

Spanish newspaper AS reported that Real Sociedad had reached an agreement with Marseille for Aguerd to join them on a season-long loan, with an option for the Spanish club to make the transfer permanent.

According to Foot Mercato, the proposed deal would see Real Sociedad pay a loan fee of €4m for the 2026-27 season. The agreement would also include an option to buy Aguerd for €11m.

Aguerd is expected to travel to San Sebastian during the first few days of next week, ahead of completing his move to Real Sociedad.

The 30-year-old has previously played for Real Sociedad, before moving to West Ham United and subsequently joining Olympique de Marseille. During his first spell with Real Sociedad, he made 21 appearances without scoring or providing an assist.

Aguerd’s immediate future has been uncertain since his return from injury. He underwent surgery in the groin area last March, an operation that ruled him out of Morocco’s involvement at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The defender has since recovered and is now ready to return to competitive football. He made 16 appearances for Marseille, scoring one goal.

A move back to Real Sociedad would therefore represent a return to a club Aguerd already knows, with the proposed loan giving him the chance to resume his career in Spain while Marseille retain the possibility of a permanent transfer fee.

The reported agreement has not yet been completed, but Aguerd’s exclusion from Marseille’s friendly against Athletic Bilbao adds to indications that the transfer could be finalised in the coming days.