United confirm Barthez talks
Manchester United tonight confirmed they are in talks with Marseille about letting Fabien Barthez return to France.
But the Premiership champions denied any deal has been completed after the French club claimed they had sealed an agreement to take their former player on loan for the rest of the season, subject to FIFA approval.
“We are in discussions with Marseille but no final agreement has been reached,” said a United spokesman tonight.
The move for the 32-year-old France international would have to be ratified by world governing body FIFA as it is outside the transfer window. But Marseille’s official website claimed the transfer should be completed by the weekend.
Barthez has fallen down the pecking order at Old Trafford following the summer signing of American Tim Howard and Marseille general manager Philippe Piola was in England today to set up the deal to take Barthez back to the club he helped win the 1993 European Cup.
