Marseille close in on Barthez move

Fabien Barthez looks increasingly likely to return to former club Marseille in a bid to get regular first-team football.

Barthez has been frozen out at Manchester United where he is number three choice behind Tim Howard and Roy Carroll, and France coach Jacques Santini has warned that he is keeping the situations of players without first-team football under review.

The biggest obstacle to a move – whether on loan or permanent – has been that Marseille’s first-choice goalkeeper Vedran Runje is seen as a key first-team member.

However, OM president Christophe Bouchet looked to be clearing the path for a swoop when he said that 27-year-old Croatian Runje could benefit from the presence of the more experienced Barthez.

With L’Equipe reporting that a deal could be struck in the next two or three days, Bouchet told the paper: “Barthez coming to OM is favourable to United, to us and Barthez.

“For Vedran, this pursuit of Fabien represents an opportunity to benefit from his experience, his mastery.

“It will permit him to make a leap in quality to become one of the top five goalkeepers in the world.

“Vedran is still young, there is still a little room for improvement and this could accelerate it.”

Barthez, who started his career with Toulouse, left Marseille eight years ago and was a member of the OM team which won the 1993 European Cup – the only time a French team has won Europe’s top club prize.

He moved to Monaco and was a key member of the France squad which won the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000.

In France 98, he conceded only two goals – one from a penalty – as ‘Les Bleus’ were crowned world champions with the best defensive record in World Cup history.

He is contracted with United until 2006 but seems no longer to feature in the plans of United boss Sir Alex Ferguson.

Marseille have needed a goalkeeper as reserve custodian Cedric Carrasso is sidelined with injury for six months, and now that Bouchet has hinted that Barthez would win the starting slot ahead of Runje, the last major obstacle would seem to have been surmounted.

Marseille coach Alain Perrin has indicated a goalkeeper will be signed in the next two or three days, although he has not excluded that it might be for someone other than Barthez.

He said: “The Barthez option is not eliminated. We are thinking about it but have not entered into serious negotiations.

“We are thinking more of a loan than a transfer.”

With United reportedly keen only on a permanent deal, Perrin said: “There are fixed positions that nonetheless leave some room for negotiation, interim solutions with an option to buy.”