CORNERFLICK
The 2026 summer transfer window has closed, and GOAL reported that Marseille and Athletic Bilbao were the only clubs across the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, the Bundesliga and Ligue 1 to end it without a single signing.
Bilbao stayed true to its model
Athletic’s position is less surprising. The Basque club’s long-standing policy is built around players with Basque roots and development through its academy, so it often turns to its own pathway before looking elsewhere.
Marseille lost players but added none
Marseille’s case is very different. The French club did not bring in a new player, but several key names left, including Mason Greenwood to Fenerbahçe, Facundo Medina to Bayer Leverkusen and Quinten Timber to Crystal Palace. Gerónimo Rulli, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Leonardo Balerdi, Bilal Nadir and Hamed Traorè were also among those to depart.
GOAL said financial limits and wider economic pressure on French football were central to Marseille’s approach. The club now starts the season with a thinner squad and the added burden of domestic and European commitments.