The Moroccan defender's return to San Sebastián falls apart following medical examinations, raising questions about his fitness after pubalgia surgery
Nayef Aguerd will not be heading back to Real Sociedad. The La Liga club pulled the plug on a deal to bring the Moroccan centre-back back to the Reale Arena after he completed medical tests, ending what had been an advanced-stage negotiation between Sociedad and Olympique de Marseille.
A deal that was nearly done
The two clubs had progressed well beyond the casual inquiry stage. The proposed arrangement was structured as a loan, with Sociedad paying an estimated €2-4 million for the temporary move. An option (or, depending on the report, an obligation) to make the transfer permanent was also part of the package, valued somewhere between €11-17 million.
Aguerd underwent surgery to address a pubalgia injury in March 2026 and hasn’t featured in a competitive match since. Five months of rehabilitation later, whatever the Sociedad medical team saw during their examination was enough to scrap the entire arrangement.
Aguerd’s complicated journey
The defender spent the 2024-25 season on loan at Real Sociedad, making 21 La Liga appearances without scoring. His performances were solid enough that Sociedad wanted him back.
After that loan stint, Marseille signed Aguerd on a permanent basis in September 2025 for approximately €23 million. Instead, the pubalgia injury and subsequent surgery in March 2026 derailed those plans entirely. Marseille now find themselves with a €23 million defender they were willing to loan out at a fraction of that cost.
Aguerd himself faces the prospect of spending more time on the sidelines or, at best, working his way back into Roberto De Zerbi’s plans at Marseille, assuming the Italian coach still sees a role for a defender whose fitness timeline remains uncertain.
