It’s already been an eventful summer for Juventus winger Timothy Weah, and it doesn’t look like that might slow down any time soon as the rumor mill continues to swirl regarding his future in Turin.
First it was a potential move to the Premier League.
Now, it could be a return to France — albeit with a very Italian kind of flavor to it.
According to L’Equipe on Saturday and previous reports in Italy over the last 48 hours, Juventus and Olympique Marseille are in talks over a possible move for the 25-year-old Weah. It wasn’t even two weeks ago that Weah rejected a move to Premier League Nottingham Forest, which would have had him be one half of a double signing with fellow winger Samuel Mbangula. But once Weah didn’t accept personal terms with Forest, a new suitor was needed if Juve were to sell him — and looks like Marseille might prove to be just that.
The reported price it might take for OM to sign Weah is that same that Juventus and Nottingham Forest had agreed to last month: €15 million. There’s been no word on how advanced the negotiations are, but Juve and Marseille are talking, according to multiple reports that have come out in the last couple of days.
With their second-place finish behind treble winners Paris Saint-Germain, Marseille will be taking part in Champions League football next season — something that Weah’s now-rejected move to Nottingham Forest wouldn’t have offered. Forest qualified for the UEFA Conference League, their first European competition involvement in three decades.
Weah’s agent was quite outspoken after the move to Forest fell through after his client failed to reach personal terms, saying the following:
“Weah is a fantastic player and a fantastic teammate. Seeing people behave like this for money and selfishness has disappointed me a lot, it’s a shame. No one can push one of the players I represent to move from one side or another like a puppet. I’m happy that Timo has excellent preparation and a personality that allows him to stay focused on the game.”
If he moves to Marseille, Weah would be reunited with former Juventus teammate Adrien Rabiot as well as coached by Italian tactician Roberto De Zerbi, who is entering his second season in charge of the French side.
As part of their report, L’Equipe said that Juventus have inquired about Marseille center back Leonardo Balerdi, who is reportedly a favorite of Igor Tudor. The two worked together during Tudor’s time as Marseille manager during the 2022-23 season. However, Fabrizio Romano said Saturday that Marseille don’t want to part with the 26-year-old Argentine and that he is not connected to any potential deal for Weah.