Bacary Sagna linked with a potential return to Ligue 1

Former Arsenal and Manchester City full-back Bacary Sagna has been linked with a proposed return to Ligue 1 with Marseille this summer.


The 34-year-old is a free agent following his release from the Etihad earlier in the month. The France international left former club Arsenal on a free transfer in 2014 to achieve more success, but he was restricted to just one trophy in the EFL Cup during his three year stint at Manchester City. In comparison to this, Arsenal have lifted a couple more FA Cup titles while also winning two Community Shields in the process.

According to The Mirror, a return to Ligue 1 could be on the cards this summer due to the reduced Premier League interest in his signature. Former suitors West Ham United have dropped their interest in Sagna following the capture of former City teammate Pablo Zabaleta while Crystal Palace are mulling over a move for the Frenchman as they prepare to appoint Frank de Boer as their new head coach.

Marseille owner Franck McCourt has spent reasonably over the past year in order to improve the overall shape of the squad, and Sagna is the latest player on Les Phoceens radar. The likes of Dimitri Payet, Florian Thauvin and Patrice Evra have made an impression following their return to the French league, and Sagna could be offered a similar opportunity as the club look to bridge the gap on the heavyweights. Paris Saint-Germain have dominated the French league for the past four seasons, but this spell came to an end this year after Monaco won the Ligue 1 crown with an eight point advantage.
Marseille ended 33 points behind Monaco in the league standings, and they will be hoping to come closer to their French counterparts with McCourt having given the backing to further bolster the squad this summer.