Speaking in a press conference, De Zerbi said: "I wanted him here, I said it over and over again. He was the first player I contacted, even before I signed for Marseille. I had already spoken to his father. No one can have more respect for him than I do.
“But that doesn’t change anything: I expect more from him. He has to do more, because what he is currently showing is not enough. If he wants to achieve his ambition of becoming a champion, he has to be more consistent, sacrifice more and be more determined. Otherwise, we as a team always fall back into the same pattern: a very good match, then a defeat at Auxerre, then a victory against Nantes… It’s too irregular, it’s like waves. And that’s something I don’t like.”