Florian Thauvin has admitted he still hasn’t signed a new contract at Marseille amid reported interest from Leicester City and Aston Villa, in quotes reported by Calciomercato.
With Cengiz Under failing to prove he deserves an extended stay at the King Power, could the Roma loanee be replaced by another left-footed right-winger?
According to EuroSport, Leicester are weighing up a summer bid for Thauvin, Marseille’s World Cup-winning talisman.
Don’t let that forgettable stint at Newcastle United fool you.
Thauvin is a man with ability by the bucketload, a France international with a hugely impressive goalscoring record from out wide. And, if we’re being honest, Steve McClaren played him out of position at Newcastle anyway.
While Under would set Leicester back £20 million – a fee the Foxes surely won’t pay after an underwhelming loan spell – Thauvin will be available for free in July with Marseille failing to tie their talisman down to a new deal.
“As for my future, at the moment I have no idea, but one thing is certain – I have always had a good understanding with (Marseille sporting director turned president) Pablo Longoria,” Thauvin explains.
“We’ll see what happens. A renewal? Pablo and my entourage had a chat in December. We haven’t reached an agreement but the discussions aren’t closed.
“I knew it was going to be complicated. A player at the end of his contract also asks himself many questions. I want to give my best until the end.”
Last year, Tuttomercatoweb reported Aston Villa were also interested in Thauvin and it remains to be seen whether Dean Smith makes an approach of his own in the near future.
Villa’s overreliance on Jack Grealish has been laid bare during the captain’s recent absence.
And Thauvin – who has 66 goals in four seasons at Marseille (not including an injury-ravaged 2019/20) – would ease the crushing burden on Villa’s influential number ten.
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