Nayef Aguerd was largely on the periphery in the Premier League club from Rennes for £30 million in 2022.
The centre-back made 58 appearances across two seasons for West Ham United, before he was loaned to Real Sociedad in 2024/25 and then sold to Marseille in the summer.
Back in France, the Morocco international will be hoping to settle down again and return to his best under Roberto De Zerbi.
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Former West Ham United man Nayef Aguerd assaulted after selfie request
Nayef Aguerd in action for West Ham against Chelsea in August 2023. (Image credit: Getty Images)
But it has been a worrying time of late for Aguerd, who was assaulted at an airport in France before going on international duty with Morocco, according to French outlet BFM Marseille-Provence.
The 29-year-old was reportedly confronted by a man in the VIP lounge asking for his phone number and a selfie, after which he “raised his voice and tried to slap him”.
Nayef Aguerd of Morocco poses during the official FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 portrait session (Image credit: Oliver Hardt – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
The airport’s security stepped in and the man was arrested. Aguerd did not get the chance to file a formal complaint before catching his flight.
The player later wrote on Instagram: “I want to reassure everyone following the information that has been circulating for the last few hours that I was indeed assaulted at Marignane airport while waiting for my flight to join the Moroccan national team.
“Fortunately it was a scare more than anything else and everything was quickly resolved thanks to the intervention of security personnel and law enforcement.
“I’m doing well and I’m now focused on what matters most to me: playing for OM and representing my country with pride. Let’s always be calm and respectful, life goes on.”
Nayef Aguerd has become a fan favourite for Morocco
Aguerd, who has 56 caps for his country, is set to feature for Morocco in a friendly against Bahrain in Rabat on Thursday, before a World Cup qualifier against Congo on Tuesday.
The defender has played a key role in almost seamless qualification campaign for Morocco, who have conceded just twice and won all seven of their matches so far.
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