Former Marseille coach Franck Passi has revealed that the Stade Velodrome club were close to signing Moussa Dembele as backup to Michy Batshuayi.
Marseille sold Batshuayi to Chelsea for €40m in the summer transfer window, but last season the French club were looking for a backup to the striker, something which saw Dembele, then at Fulham, on their radar.
Dembele had impressed Marseille's scouts and Passi saw him as a serious option for the Ligue 1 club, with a loan move something which he says was close.
The striker joined Celtic in the summer after the expiry of his contract with Championship side Fulham, but a move to Marseille could have set Dembele up for a very different outcome.
Passi, who was in charge of Marseille for two spells last term and led the side into the current campaign, was replaced by Rudi Garcia in October.
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He said on Telefoot: "It was a year ago.
"We wanted a backup for Michy Batshuayi.
"Among all the players suggested, there was Moussa.
"I had contact with his agent.
"He was close to coming to Marseille, but in the end it did not happen."
Dembele has been in superb form for Celtic in the current campaign, even pushing regular scoring talisman Leigh Griffiths out of the team.
In the current campaign Dembele has netted 17 times for Celtic in 32 appearances in all competitions.
