Loan Watch: How the five Borussia Dortmund loanees are faring this season
By Tushar Bahl
Leonardo Balerdi – Olympique Marseille
After failing to stake a claim for a regular starting spot at Borussia Dortmund, Leonardo Balerdi joined Olympique Marseille on loan in the summer. It has been a start-stop season for the young defender, who has made a total of 17 appearances for the French side.
Balerdi began the season well and showed glimpses of the talent that prompted Borussia Dortmund to sign him from Boca Juniors in 2019. But following a string of inconsistent performances, he fell out of favour with now former head coach André Villas-Boas. Marseille’s struggles both on and off the pitch will certainly not have helped his cause.
Balerdi has enjoyed a new lease of life since the arrival of Jorge Sampaoli, and has started each of Marseille’s last four league games. Although his performance in Marseille’s 3-0 defeat to OGC Nice just before the international break left a lot to be desired.
It remains to be seen if Marseille will activate their purchase option to sign Balerdi on a permanent transfer in the summer. The defender still has more than three years left on his Borussia Dortmund contract.