Goal.com

Goal.com understands that the Giallorossi hierarchy would like the Marseille trainer on the bench next season should the Spaniard depart the Italian capital club

EXCLUSIVE
By Alexandre Walraevens

Didier Deschamps and Olympique de Marseille; their story is most likely finished. At the end of a frustrating season, OM could see the man who restored their pride by winning trophies for the team after a near-two decade drought depart the club.

According to Goal.com sources, which comes from those close to the policy-makers at Roma, Deschamps is their priority ahead of the next campaign. Respected in Italy, the Frenchman could end up at a club with the culture to match his ambitions. Specifically, he said recently that he “coaches to win”.

Jean-Pierre Bernes, Deschamps' agent, has listened to his client. The 43-year-old boss, who has been at Les Phoceens since May 2009, has posed more and more questions about his future on the Canebiere.

After the departure of Erik Gerets, Deschamps had been presented with an ambitious project for OM by former president Robert Louis-Dreyfus, and this was evidenced by huge investments on Lucho Gonzalez (€18 million), Loic Remy (€13m) and Andre-Pierre Gignac (€18m).

Since then, however, the club has significantly reduced their transfer budget, which peaked at €10m last summer. Deschamps is tired of conflict with sporting director Jose Anigo and also the lack of ambition from the club he helped to the Champions League glory in 1993 as a player.

The former Juventus coach has asked his agent to find him a role in Italy. And according to Goal.com sources, Roma, purchased in 2011 by a group of American investors, have made him their priority. Walter Sabattini, the sporting director of the Giallorossi, would particularly like Deschamps, and there is a guarantee of success if the matter can be resolved quickly.

Holding a contract that runs until 2014, ‘La Dech’ has a buy-out clause to the tune of €3m that could be lifted before June 15. Roma, strengthened by their new purchasing power, would have no trouble paying the amount required by OM, and could meet the requirements of the 1998 World Cup winner in the transfer market.

Only Inter, another club in search of a reputable coach, could derail the deal, but Goal.com can reveal that Roma are already a few steps ahead.