Himad Abdelli left out of Angers squad for Marseille clash amid move talks | OneFootball

Himad Abdelli has been left out of Angers’ squad to face Marseille on Saturday, with the midfielder not selected for the Ligue 1 meeting at Raymond-Kopa at 21:05 in the 18th round.

According to L'Équipe, the 26-year-old Algeria international wants to join Marseille and has already agreed a five-year deal, reached on 7 January, while Lyon had also shown interest. Marseille offered €2m plus bonuses and a potential sell-on, which Angers rejected, and talks continued on Friday with a face-to-face planned at the stadium on matchday.

Within Angers the case has been viewed as highly unusual, and the club opted against involving a player who is being courted by Marseille, which he regards as his dream club. Angers drew 2-2 at the Vélodrome on 29 October. The club had been more prepared for teenager Sidiki Chérif, 19, to depart, with Crystal Palace negotiating and Paris FC stepping away despite a higher €23m bid than the current €19m from London.

Abdelli returned this week after the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, where Algeria reached the quarter-finals before losing 2-0 to Nigeria on 10 January. Initially not in the squad, he was called up late to replace Houssem Aouar and played 173 minutes across four outings, starting once and impressing against DR Congo in the last 16.

After discussions with the player, Angers decided he would not be involved against Marseille, deeming the scenario too delicate to manage on the night. His contract runs to June.

Source: L'Équipe