Olympique de Marseille have made Facundo Medina's move from Lens permanent, triggering the mandatory purchase clause in his loan deal for a fee of around €18m. The transfer was completed on 1 July 2026, exactly a year after Medina first arrived at the Vélodrome on a loan-to-buy agreement that had also included an initial loan fee and add-ons, taking the overall value of the deal closer to €20m. He has signed a long-term contract to stay at the club.
Marseille moved for Medina in the summer of 2025 under then-manager Roberto De Zerbi, who wanted a centre-back comfortable bringing the ball out from the back and capable of covering at left-back too. That versatility, plus his experience of Ligue 1 after five years at Lens, made him a natural fit for a Marseille side built around playing out from deep. Rather than gamble on an outright transfer straight away, the two clubs structured the deal as a loan with an obligation to buy once certain conditions were met, and that clause has now been activated.
For Lens, the sale continues a familiar pattern of developing players and selling at a profit. Medina joined the club in 2020 for a fee of around €3.5m and leaves having made 165 appearances, scoring eight goals and adding ten assists across five seasons. He was popular with supporters, having chosen to stay through a winter window when a move looked possible, and Lens have already brought in Samson Baidoo from RB Salzburg as a replacement in defence.
Medina's recent form helped push the move through. In his first season at Marseille he made 17 Ligue 1 appearances, contributing one assist, before being picked in Argentina's squad for the 2026 World Cup. He started both of Argentina's opening group games, wins over Algeria and Austria, before suffering a calf injury during the Round of 32 win against Cape Verde on 3 July — just two days after his permanent switch to Marseille was finalised.
The move comes during a turbulent period for Marseille off the pitch. De Zerbi, who brought Medina to the club, left in February 2026 following a heavy defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, with Habib Beye taking over before Bruno Genesio was appointed as the club's latest head coach in early July. Medina, who has spoken openly about how much De Zerbi's departure affected the squad, is now one of the more established faces in a Marseille defence that has seen plenty of change around him.
With the permanent deal done, Genesio inherits a settled, experienced defender who already knows the club, the league and his teammates, rather than having to integrate a fresh signing from scratch. Once he recovers from his World Cup injury, Medina is expected to continue rotating between centre-back and left-back as Marseille look to stabilise after a season that ended without Champions League qualification.