Luiz Felipe signs with Olympique de Marseille until 2026, when the anti-Betis clause expires

01/05/2025

Updated at 12:00 p.m.

Luiz Felipe will be a player Olympique Marseille until June 2026 after terminating his contract with Al-Ittihad of Saudi Arabia. The date of the Brazilian international center back’s connection with Italy coincides precisely with the moment in which his union with the Saudi club expired and the anti-Betis clause that he has signed in order to be free. In this way, when he is without a team again in 2026 he could sign for the green and white if the parties agree on his interest. The defender is currently 27 years old and has not competed since August since he was left out of registration at Al-Ittihad due to too many foreigners in the squad.

The reason why Al-Ittihad, with Ramon Planes as sports director, made Luiz Felipe sign this clause not to go to Betis as a free agent until 2026. It lies in the payment that the Saudi club made to the Verdiblancos in September 2023 of 22 million euros. Planes and his bosses did not want him to return to Heliópolis for free so as not to feel cheated with his short stay and Luiz Felipe’s agents have had to articulate this route to continue his career in the Ligue 1as Fabrizio Romano has advanced.

Thus, with this scenario, Betis retains its options of being able to incorporate Luiz Felipe at the end of his relationship with Olympique de Marseille in June 2026, already released from his commitment to Al-Ittihad. It will be then when the options of both the green and white and the footballer himself will be evaluated, but the possible understanding is there as a future that the parties consider.

At Betis they had managed the incorporation of Luiz Felipe in the January market but this blockade by Al-Ittihad has prevented everything and has delayed the possible return of the central defender in favorable conditions. Pellegrini has in the squad Llorente, Bartra, Natan and Mendyas well as the alternative of Ricardo Rodríguez.