No way back for Adrien Rabiot after all? Marseille refusing to back down after banished midfielder's mother blasts club chiefs despite Roberto De Zerbi hinting at possible return

Rabiot's future at Marseille is in extreme doubt after the club’s hierarchy decided not to back down following a public war of words with the player’s agent and mother, Veronique Rabiot. The midfielder remains banished from the first team after a physical altercation with team-mate Jonathan Rowe, and a reconciliation now appears highly unlikely despite the manager's recent comments.

Manager Roberto De Zerbi caused a surprise on Saturday by publicly suggesting a path was open for Rabiot to return to the first-team squad. The comments perplexed observers and reportedly caught the club's management off guard, given the deep rift that had formed. Since the Italian's remarks, Marseille's board has remained silent, offering no official endorsement of a potential reintegration for the France international.

According to French daily L'Equipe, Marseille are now firmly leaning towards a permanent separation. The report states that club chiefs Medhi Benatia and Pablo Longoria, backed by owner Frank McCourt, feel they cannot reverse their position after the media statements made by Veronique. All contact has reportedly ceased between sporting director Benatia and the Rabiot camp, leaving the player to train alone at the Robert Louis-Dreyfus centre with his future unresolved.

"To mistreat him like this after everything he did last season is unbearable," the player's mother said last week. "That's what's most shocking. I didn't know people could be treated like this. He was so happy to be here, but in the end, they treat him like an outcast, like a bad guy... To think we've never seen this is crazy. When Greenwood signed after hitting his wife, De Zerbi said we could give him a second chance. I agree with giving people second chances, but is it only my son who doesn't get a second chance? I assume he doesn't owe OM anything because he paid in advance. It's OM who should thank him and not disrespect him."

With the end of the transfer window just days away, Marseille must secure a buyer or risk an uncomfortable standoff. A transfer now seems the most probable outcome, with Galatasaray, Aston Villa, West Ham, Inter and AC Milan all reported to be interested. The immediate priority for Medhi Benatia is to re-establish a channel of communication to facilitate a move. In the short term, Marseille are preparing for a difficult trip to Lyon, with the Rabiot affair serving as a major off-field distraction.