If 90% of the French press are to be believed, Marseille’s number one target to take Yohann Pelé’s starting spot in goal is their former star Steve Mandanda, currently watching on from the sidelines at Crystal Palace.
However, were that particular transfer to not go ahead, the club have some backup plans on their list, with Le10 Sport in France claiming Middlesbrough’s Victor Valdes is one of them.
The Spanish goalkeeper, who transferred to Riverside from Manchester United when Aitor Karanka was still in charge, has served the Premier League side well this season, even if they currently sit in the relegation zone with eight games to play.
With the club in such a precarious position, it remains to be seen whether Valdes will want to play in the Championship next season, and this is where Marseille come in.
The club’s director of football, Antoni Zubizarreta, knows the former Manchester United goalkeeper from their time at Barcelona together, and as a former shot stopper himself, appreciates what the Boro man has to offer.
According to Le10, Marseille have already approached the Valdes clan a few times, with the Middlesborough goalkeeper said to be interested about what the Ligue 1 side have to offer.
We’ll see if this one sticks over the coming weeks, as some of the French magazine’s stories tend to disappear as quickly as they are published, but on paper, this makes sense in case Mandanda remains at Crystal Palace.
