Marseille fail in Drogba approach

Marseille enquired about the availability of Chelsea striker Didier Drogba before finally settling on Brandao as their attacking recruit in the January transfer window.

Drogba, who had a year at the Stade Velodrome in the 2003/04 campaign, was Marseille owner Robert Louis-Dreyfus' chief target this month.

But Louis-Dreyfus’ audacious attempt to sign the player his side sold to Chelsea for around £24m in the summer of 2004 was quickly rebuffed by the Premier League giants.

“I called (Chelsea chief executive) Peter Kenyon to sound him out about Didier Drogba,” Louis-Dreyfus told French daily L’Equipe.

"But they absolutely do not want to let him go.”

Drogba has been axed from Chelsea’s side to face Southend in the FA Cup tonight, becoming the first victim of Luiz Felipe Scolari’s get-tough policy following their 3-0 mauling by Manchester United on Sunday.

The striker was a favourite when he was at Marseille, where he won France’s Player of the Year award in his only season at the club.