Barcelona outcast Miralem Pjanic is reportedly not a transfer target for Ligue 1 giants Marseille, with no talks taking place between the two clubs.
According to reliable transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Ligue 1 giants Olympique Marseille have no interest in signing out-of-favour Barcelona midfielder Miralem Pjanic in the summer window.
Pjanic joined Barcelona from Juventus in the summer of 2020 in a convoluted agreement that saw Arthur Melo move the other way. However, the Bosnian international endured a torrid first year in Catalonia, failing to make an impression in his debut season in Spain. Former manager Ronald Koeman hardly counted on the midfielder during the 2020/21 campaign.
Pjanic left the club last summer to sign for Besiktas on a season-long loan deal and played fairly regularly when fit and available. Now that he is set to return to Barcelona for pre-season, the 32-year-old does not have a place in manager Xavi Hernandez’s plans for the upcoming campaign.
With Pjanic’s future at Camp Nou non-existent, he has been linked with an exit from Barcelona this summer. And reports claimed that Marseille were one of the few clubs interested in signing the midfielder from the Catalan giants.
There are currently no talks between Olympique Marseille and Barcelona for Miralem Pjanić, despite rumours. He’s not a target for OM. ❌?? #OM
OM board now working on Torino’s loan proposal for Luis Henrique, still waiting for player’s final decision.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 22, 2022
The Ligue 1 heavyweights finished in second place in the French top-flight last season and are set to participate in the UEFA Champions League in the upcoming campaign. And to compete strongly on all fronts, they are looking to add more quality and experience to their roster.
It had led to links with Pjanic, as well as his Barcelona teammate Clement Lenglet. However, a move for the French defender has been ruled out as Marseille cannot afford to pay his massive wages. And, as per Fabrizio Romano, the Ligue 1 runners-up have no interest in signing Pjanic either and contrary to claims, there have been no talks between them and Barcelona over a summer transfer.
It leaves Pjanic’s future in limbo, although it has been suggested in Spanish media that the former Juventus and AS Roma midfield maestro has no desire to leave Barcelona in the summer. So, the situation presents more of a headache for the Blaugrana, who need to offload as many unwanted players as possible this summer to clear up space on their wage bill for new signings.
