Marseille cannot at present afford to keep Florian Thauvin, who is on loan at the club from Newcastle United, at the Stade Velodrome.
The south coast club sold the winger to Newcastle last summer for around £15m, but he was soon shipped back to Marseille on loan in the winter transfer window after flopping at St. James' Park.
Newcastle's relegation from the Premier League makes a permanent exit for the 23-year-old more likely, but according to French sports daily L'Equipe, Marseille cannot currently afford to sign Thauvin, either on another loan or on a permanent deal.
The cash-strapped Ligue 1 giants are dependent upon new investors arriving in order to give them a shot at keeping hold of Thauvin.
Marseille could finish only a lowly 13th in Ligue 1 this season and may well lose striker Michy Batshuayi, who is attracting considerable interest from clubs in the Premier League.
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Thauvin made 16 appearances in Ligue 1 for Marseille this season, scoring two goals and being sent off once.
He is under contract with Newcastle until the summer of 2020.
