Ulisses Garcia has completed a loan move from Olympique Marseille to Serie A side Sassuolo, leaving France for Italy in a deal that runs from 2026-02-02 to 2026-06-30. The 30-year-old left-back joins the Emilia-Romagna club on a temporary transfer, with the agreement officially recorded as a loan transfer between the Ligue 1 and Serie A outfits.
The switch sees Garcia leave Marseille, where he arrived from BSC Young Boys, to link up with Sassuolo in Italy’s top flight. His current market value is listed at €3.00m, underlining Sassuolo’s decision to reinforce the left side of their defence with an experienced option rather than a developmental prospect. When the loan expires on 2026-06-30, the defender is set to return to Marseille, creating the possibility that his longer-term future could come under scrutiny depending on subsequent contract and squad decisions at the French club.
Garcia’s move continues a career path that has taken him through several major European leagues. Born in Almada and standing 1.82 m tall, he progressed through the youth ranks at Servette and Grasshopper Club Zürich’s various age groups before breaking into senior football with Grasshopper Club Zurich. A transfer to Werder Bremen introduced him to the Bundesliga, followed by a loan stint at 1.FC Nuremberg, also in Germany, before he returned to Switzerland with BSC Young Boys. From there he stepped into Ligue 1 with Marseille and now adds Serie A to his résumé via Sassuolo.
Primarily deployed as a left-back and preferring his left foot, Garcia offers Sassuolo a specialist in his position rather than a makeshift option. His dual nationality, Switzerland and Cape Verde, gives him a profile that resonates in multiple footballing communities, even though his club trajectory has been firmly rooted in European domestic competitions. The move to Italy also means he will again be playing abroad rather than in Switzerland, extending a long spell away from his home-country league.
Over the years, Garcia’s market value has fluctuated in line with his moves and performances, reaching the €3.00m mark around his time at Young Boys and maintaining that level during his spell at Marseille before this loan. His experience in the Swiss Super League, Bundesliga, Ligue 1 and now Serie A presents Sassuolo with a defender accustomed to different tactical demands and competitive environments.
With a clear loan term already set and an automatic return to Marseille scheduled for 2026-06-30, his performances in Italy will likely influence how both clubs view his role beyond the end of the deal and could be decisive in shaping the next phase of his career.
