ONYEWU TO FRANCE
SAN FRANCISCO (SI.com) -- U.S. central defender Oguchi Onyewu is transferring to French club Olympique Marseille, according to a report in SoccerTimes.com.
The 24-year-old, who has played for Belgian club Standard de Liège since 2004, had been linked with some of the top teams in Europe, including Real Madrid, Chelsea, AC Milan and Lyon.
Marseille will reportedly pay Standard a $4 million transfer fee.
Earlier this month, Standard rejected a reported $2 million transfer fee from Premiership club Fulham, which would have reunited Onyewu with fellow Team USA members Brian McBride, Carlos Bocanegra and Clint Dempsey, all of whom play for Fulham.
Standing 6-foot-4 and weighing 210 pounds, "Gooch" has developed a reputation as a big, bruising defender and was a key member of the United States' back line at the World Cup in Germany last summer. Following the tournament, the Washington, D.C.-area native turned down an offer to move to English club Middlesbrough.
Onyewu was recently voted Athlete of the Year by the U.S. Soccer Federation. He made his first appearance for the U.S. national team in '04.
Onyewu's arrival as a Team USA stalwart, however, was during a World Cup qualifying victory vs. Mexico in September '05 in Columbus, Ohio. Onyewu dominated Mexico's star striker, Jared Borgetti, helping the U.S. win that game 2-0 and clinch a spot in Germany '06 as a result.
Marseille is one of the biggest and best-supported teams in France, and is the only French club to have won the European Champions League, in 1993. L'OM also has eight Ligue 1 titles and a record 10 French Cup titles to its credit, as well as a Champions League runner-up spot in '91 and two UEFA Cup runner-up spots.
The club has hit a slump in recent years, however, failing to finish higher than third place in the French league since the '02-03 season. Marseille is currently in second place behind leader Lyon, and is nearing a purchase by Canadian businessman Jack Kachkar.
