Nantes planning Barthez swoop

Fabien Barthez could return to football with Ligue 1 strugglers Nantes after their coach Georges Eo revealed the club’s interest in the former France and Manchester United goalkeeper.

Barthez, a World Cup winner with Les Bleus in 1998, announced his retirement in the summer after he was unable to find an employer in Ligue 1 for this season.

But with Les Canaris second from bottom in the league heading into the winter break, they could bring Barthez out of retirement to add some experience to the squad.

Eo told RTL: “It has been mentioned – the president (Rudi Roussillon) has been keeping me informed.

“He told me we were going to talk to Fabien, and he asked me for my opinion. Having seen the boy's list of achievements and records, which is very prestigious, we are going to try to find the best possible solution.”