Marseille's preparations for the new season gathered pace on Friday as they signed Boudewijn Zenden and reached an agreement with Liverpool over the permanent transfer of Djibril Cisse.
The Mediterranean club, without a trophy since 1993, look to be building a squad that appears ready to challenge the dominance of Lyon, who have won the last six Ligue 1 titles.
Midfielder Zenden moves to the Stade Velodrome on a free transfer after being released by Liverpool this summer.
The Dutchman penned a two-year deal after completing a medical earlier in the day.
Moments after clinching Zenden's signature, OM then announced they had reached "an agreement in principle" with Liverpool over the permanent acquisition of Cisse.
The France striker, 25, spent last season on loan at the southerners and now looks likely to sign a four-year deal with his home-town club. He was born in nearby Arles.
A statement on Marseille's website, www.om.net, read: "As well as signing Boudewijn Zenden, Marseille have also reached an agreement in principle with Liverpool for the transfer of Djibril Cisse."
Cisse, who struggled to prove himself on Merseyside, scored eight goals in 21 Ligue 1 matches for Marseille last season in a campaign that was disrupted by the broken leg that caused him to miss the 2006 World Cup.
Zenden, meanwhile, is OM's seventh signing of the summer, joining Karim Ziani, Jacques Faty, Vincent Gragnic, Benoit Cheyrou, Laurent Bonnart and Gael Givet at the Velodrome.
The experienced 30-year-old, who can play across the midfield or at left-back, has starred for PSV Eindhoven, Barcelona, Chelsea, Middlesbrough and Liverpool in a distinguished career.
And OM's sporting director Jose Anigo is delighted with the purchase of the Dutchman, who has played 54 times for his country but not since September 2004.
"It is a big coup for us," said Anigo.
"He is a player who will give the team equilibrium that we were looking for compared to last season, where we had a faltering left side.
"With Benoit Cheyrou and now Zenden, the left side will be better balanced.
"He is very experienced and is a player who only a month ago played in the final of the Champions League. He has a profile we were looking for.
"He is the ideal player with international standing that a team playing in the Champions League must have."
Marseille qualified for this season's Champions League after finishing second in Ligue 1 last term, thanks to a terrific run of victories at the business end of the campaign.
They will now hope to kick on and challenge Lyon's hegemony in the league.
Les Gones have won six straight titles, the last couple at a canter, but there is a feeling their dominance could be about to be broken.
They have lost Eric Abidal to Barcelona, and fellow France internationals Sylvain Wiltord and Florent Malouda look set to follow the left-back out of the Stade Gerland.
Left-winger Malouda is expected to clinch his move to Chelsea in the coming days, while Marseille and Rennes are two of a host of sides believed to be interested in former Arsenal forward Wiltord.
OM coach Albert Emon, who this summer signed a one-year extension to his contract, is desperate to bring some silverware to the club's success-starved fans.
Marseille's last trophy was won in 1993 when they beat AC Milan in the final of the Champions League.
Their last French title came in 1992, while they have lost the last two Coupe de France finals.
They are, however, one of France's most successful clubs, having been league champions eight times and cup winners on 10 occasions.
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Zenden, whose wife is French, hopes Marseille will be able to launch an assault on the Ligue 1 title this season.
"OM have a lot of ambition, especially when I see the players recruited over these last few weeks and when I think of how the team played last season in finishing second," he said.
"My dream is to win Ligue 1 with Marseille. It will be very tricky - Lyon have dominated the championship for the last few years.
"But the time for another team will come. And I hope it will be OM."
Zenden added that talking to Cisse about OM helped make his mind up.
"He was very positive about the club and the supporters," the Dutchman said.
"The directors, Djibril and everyone at the club put in a lot of effort to convince me to sign here.
"That makes me very happy. When a club makes such an effort, it gives you more of a desire to go and play there."
Midfielder Zenden moves to the Stade Velodrome on a free transfer after being released by Liverpool this summer.
The Dutchman penned a two-year deal after completing a medical earlier in the day.
Moments after clinching Zenden's signature, OM then announced they had reached "an agreement in principle" with Liverpool over the permanent acquisition of Cisse.
The France striker, 25, spent last season on loan at the southerners and now looks likely to sign a four-year deal with his home-town club. He was born in nearby Arles.
A statement on Marseille's website, www.om.net, read: "As well as signing Boudewijn Zenden, Marseille have also reached an agreement in principle with Liverpool for the transfer of Djibril Cisse."
Cisse, who struggled to prove himself on Merseyside, scored eight goals in 21 Ligue 1 matches for Marseille last season in a campaign that was disrupted by the broken leg that caused him to miss the 2006 World Cup.
Zenden, meanwhile, is OM's seventh signing of the summer, joining Karim Ziani, Jacques Faty, Vincent Gragnic, Benoit Cheyrou, Laurent Bonnart and Gael Givet at the Velodrome.
The experienced 30-year-old, who can play across the midfield or at left-back, has starred for PSV Eindhoven, Barcelona, Chelsea, Middlesbrough and Liverpool in a distinguished career.
And OM's sporting director Jose Anigo is delighted with the purchase of the Dutchman, who has played 54 times for his country but not since September 2004.
"It is a big coup for us," said Anigo.
"He is a player who will give the team equilibrium that we were looking for compared to last season, where we had a faltering left side.
"With Benoit Cheyrou and now Zenden, the left side will be better balanced.
"He is very experienced and is a player who only a month ago played in the final of the Champions League. He has a profile we were looking for.
"He is the ideal player with international standing that a team playing in the Champions League must have."
Marseille qualified for this season's Champions League after finishing second in Ligue 1 last term, thanks to a terrific run of victories at the business end of the campaign.
They will now hope to kick on and challenge Lyon's hegemony in the league.
Les Gones have won six straight titles, the last couple at a canter, but there is a feeling their dominance could be about to be broken.
They have lost Eric Abidal to Barcelona, and fellow France internationals Sylvain Wiltord and Florent Malouda look set to follow the left-back out of the Stade Gerland.
Left-winger Malouda is expected to clinch his move to Chelsea in the coming days, while Marseille and Rennes are two of a host of sides believed to be interested in former Arsenal forward Wiltord.
OM coach Albert Emon, who this summer signed a one-year extension to his contract, is desperate to bring some silverware to the club's success-starved fans.
Marseille's last trophy was won in 1993 when they beat AC Milan in the final of the Champions League.
Their last French title came in 1992, while they have lost the last two Coupe de France finals.
They are, however, one of France's most successful clubs, having been league champions eight times and cup winners on 10 occasions.
(reopens)
Zenden, whose wife is French, hopes Marseille will be able to launch an assault on the Ligue 1 title this season.
"OM have a lot of ambition, especially when I see the players recruited over these last few weeks and when I think of how the team played last season in finishing second," he said.
"My dream is to win Ligue 1 with Marseille. It will be very tricky - Lyon have dominated the championship for the last few years.
"But the time for another team will come. And I hope it will be OM."
Zenden added that talking to Cisse about OM helped make his mind up.
"He was very positive about the club and the supporters," the Dutchman said.
"The directors, Djibril and everyone at the club put in a lot of effort to convince me to sign here.
"That makes me very happy. When a club makes such an effort, it gives you more of a desire to go and play there."
Copyright (c) Press Association
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