Marseille chairman Vincent Labrune has confirmed the club’s desire to agree to a fair deal with Chelsea for Cesar Azpilicueta as part of the plan to reduce wage bill this summer.
The French giants, who had a miserable run last term, finished 10th in the league and subsequently went on to lose out on the Champions League spot this year, have found themselves in financial uncertainty for quite a period of time.
Having already lost on one of their key defensive midfielder in Alou Diarra this summer, the chairman has went too far to name the other players he wants to sell and Cesar Azpilicueta, who has been strongly linked with Chelsea throughout the transfer window,
might be leaving the Velodrome soon.
France Football quoted the visibly perturbed Labrune as, “For the next three weeks, as it has been since the start of the transfer window, our objective is very clear - we must sell players”.
According to the chairman, it is not the manager’s prerogative to sell players rather, “it is the major shareholder’s instruction. The objectives set by the shareholders are drastic. We are trying to sell to reduce the wage bill”.
He continued, “Our priority since may has been to get money to make up for the loss due to the 10th position last season and missing out on Champions League qualification”.
When quizzed on Alou Diarra’s move to West Ham United, the chairman, was being pretty straightforward and held the view that all concerned parties including the player, the buying team and the selling club are all happy with the deal.
Labrune, whilst holding his views about Diarra and Aspi, also expressed the resolve to let players like Stephane Mbia, and either Loic Remy or Andre Ayew to leave.
However, Labrune added that the club has changed its stance over the former Nice man as the manager holds the talented player in high esteem but then yet again nothing was final.
The chairman hopes that the Blues will come up with a fair offer for the right-back and in such an eventuality, the club will be left with no option but to let the player go. Same goes for Cameroon international Stephane Mbia who has expressed his desire
to try his luck elsewhere.
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