As Rennes and Marseille prepare for a game that will decide of the Ligue 1 leadership, the Marseille management is getting active to try and find a replacement to their right back Azpilicueta, injured for the rest of the season. Rod Fanni, who will play at the Vélodrome this Wednesday, seems to be the ideal target…
This Monday, Stade Rennes and Olympique Marseille lived through assumptions and suppositions. At stake, Rod Fanni’s possible transfer to Marseille, to replace Cesar Azpilicueta. First announced by L’Équipe on Monday morning, the news of a Marseille interest for the Rennes defender was soon confirmed, and developed by senior members of both clubs.
At OM, an obvious sense of urgency to find a replacement to the Spanish full back, out until the end of the season because of torn cruciate ligaments, is visible. Having no real replacement in his squad, Marseille coach Didier Deschamps is hoping “a decision during the week”. A vow targeting “somebody with qualities”, in other words a player that would be a real addition to the French champion.
In this aim, Fanni is an almost ideal target. A full French international, clearly one of the best players at his position in Ligue 1, he would satisfy supporters often eager for big names. Furthermore, he was born in Martigues, only 20 kilometres away from the Phocean city.
Rod Fanni himself could legitimately be interested with a transfer in Marseille. Speaking to Football365.fr, his agent Dominique Six confirmed that his customer could « only be sensible to an interest from the Olympique Marseille, sportively as much as humanly”, keeping in mind his strong bound to his origin region. When asked about it, Jean-Claude Dassier is positive. According to him, Fanni is “really eager to come” to Marseille.
It is true that with his 29th birthday coming, this would prove an interesting chance for the defender to gain some new exposition, re-conquer his place in the French national team, and come back to the Champion’s League, eight years after he played a few minutes in the competition with the RC Lens. Only drawback, over the next few months the player had shown his clear intention to have an experience abroad. In October 2009, Fanni explained that “he would prefer to go abroad” after his time in Rennes. A wish that could have come true last summer, with a transfer in the Spanish league. The alleged interest of Liverpool, announced recently could also influence the outcome of this case.
In Rennes, there doesn’t seem to be much worry about Fanni’s future destination, in France or abroad. Since the player extended his contract in November 2009, his departure was scheduled. Cancelled last summer, his departure was only postponed, while the Rennes management had already anticipated a departure. Therefore, nothing really blocks Fanni’s transfer, and his presence is even a slight worry in terms of the defensive hierarchy.
Asked about the player in the press conference, Frédéric Antonetti explained this Monday, that he “expected a transfer”, which is “never good news” to him however. This while reminding, resigned, that he would do as it had been decided beforehand about his player.
A Hazard (?) of the Ligue 1 calendar, Rennes and Marseille will be meeting at the Vélodrome as soon as this Wednesday. Rod Fanni will certainly be a bit torn, between talks about his future and his present very much in Rennes. “He is 200% in Rennes”, Dominique Six affirms, who swears his player will ignore the context, and that nothing will be settled before the end of the game anyway.
The game should be another occasion for the management of both clubs to meet however. According to RMC, a meeting should take place before the game between Jean-Claude Dassier and Patrick Le Lay, two former colleagues and old friends.
But at this time, Marseille wants to recruit as soon as possible, and Fanni seems to be the priority target. Marseille eager to buy, Rennes happy to sell, Fanni agreeing, everything could be going very fast if the clubs manage to agree on financial terms. Although Dassier “affirms” he has “decided on a budget” to recruit, there is no doubt Marseille’s financial means are quite limited at this moment, which Deschamps admits reluctantly, mentioning an “economical aspect to take into account”, which could “eliminate some targets”. This is what caused their proposition to propose a loan of Fanni until the end of the season with an optional transfer fee.
According to Ouest-France, the Rennes management is not really tempted to accept this form of transfer, favouring a clear transfer. But between good friends, there’s always room for a solution…
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