Reports have emerged from Italy that Olympique Marseille manager Gennaro Gattuso is reluctant to see Ismaïla Sarr leave ahead of the looming transfer deadline.

The winger will return to Olympique de Marseille after Senegal’s elimination from the African Cup of Nations to the hosts Côte d’Ivoire.
Although it was expected that he would swiftly return to the Premier League before the end of the transfer window on Thursday, Gattuso seems to have the 25-year-old in his plan.

Marseille has initially placed the former Watford winger in the transfer market, and he has garnered interest from Nottingham Forest and Villarreal, with the Spanish club even producing an opening offer for him.

What would be left is to see if Gattuso’s intervention will be enough to stop him from leaving the club.

The Italian tactician might have his way due to the fact that Sarr is unwilling to leave the club in the middle of the season.
However, the Senegalese have yet to feature prominently since Gattuso was appointed midseason.

This could mean that the former Napoli manager is a huge fan of the winger’s profile and thinks that he will be a crucial component of the side’s attack in the future.

Sarr could be an interesting option on the right-hand side of a 4-3-3 with Luis Henrique on the left.
Gattuso had reportedly met with the club hierarchy at the end of last week. He may even have convinced Marseille to reconsider their position unless a substantial offer comes in before the deadline.

In another development, Marseille is not willing to sell Leonardo Balerdi, at least during this winter window.
Téléfoot reported that the Argentinian international had been deemed nontransferable by Olympique de Marseille despite garnering interest in recent days.

Having been derided at times for his performances at Marseille, with one fan even going on a hunger strike and promising not to break it until the defender was sold, the Argentine has turned things around at the Vélodrome and has become a key figure in Gennaro Gattuso’s three-man defense.

The Argentinian has made 22 appearances in all competitions this season, scoring two goals, including a long-range finish against AS Monaco on Saturday, which secured a point with Les Phocéens.