Gabriel Heinze is set to become French club Olympique Marseille's 10th signing of the summer. OM this afternoon released a statement which saying they have reached an "agreement in principle" with the defender and his club side Real Madrid over his transfer to the Stade Velodrome. The former Manchester United player, 31, should sign a three-year deal in the coming hours. The statement on Marseille's official website read: "The Argentina international should come to Marseille soon for the completion of the contract and to take a medical." Heinze, a former Paris St Germain defender who can play at left-back or centre-half, was linked with a move to Marseille earlier this summer but it was thought his wage demands ended any hope of a deal being struck.
But it appears to have been resurrected and OM coach Didier Deschamps could soon have another high-profile player at his disposal. On Tuesday, the former Spain striker Fernando Morientes, who was a free agent after leaving Valencia at the end of last season, joined the Mediterranean side along with classy midfielder Fabrice Abriel, who moved from Lorient. The other players to have made the switch to the Velodrome in the close season are Lucho Gonzalez, Stephane M'Bia, Souleymane Diawara, Edouard Cisse, Cyril Rool, Elinton Andrade and Charley Fomen. With such a smorgasbord of talent in his squad, the pressure will be on new coach Deschamps to deliver OM a first Ligue 1 title since 1993. * PA Sport
