Florian Thauvin has told Marseille he won’t sign a contract extension meaning the Leicester City and AC Milan target is set to leave for free, according to Calciomercato.
Following the week from hell, that was the last thing L’OM fans wanted to hear.
Only days after the controversial departure of a manager who guided Marseille to an unexpected second-place finish in Ligue 1 last season, it looks for all the world as if Thauvin is about to follow Andre Villas-Boas out the door.
And who can blame him?
Thauvin has been a bright spark in a dismal season for the calamitous, crisis-hit French giants, rediscovering the form that made him a £70 million target for Bayern Munich and a World Cup winner in 2018.
His contract expires in the summer and, according to Calciomercato, Thauvin has no intention of staying.
The left-footed winger, who was valued at £18 million in January, now looks more likely than ever to drop into the free-agent pool in four months’ time.
Thauvin has told embattled Marseille president Jacques-Henri Eyraud his future lies elsewhere amid ongoing negotiations with AC Milan.
Rossoneri director Paulo Maldini is keen to add the former Newcastle youngster to Stefano Pioli’s Serie A-leading squad. An agreement is apparently close too, with Thauvin willing to accept a £50,000-a-week contract at the San Siro.
The ball, then, is in Leicester’s court.
Brendan Rodgers has asked Leicester to strike a deal for Thauvin but, if push comes to shove, the 28-year-old would choose Italy over England.
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