Hamed Traore is scheduled to undergo a medical examination at Genoa on Monday as the Serie A club prepares to complete a season-long loan agreement with Olympique Marseille. The deal would see the Ivory Coast international return to Italian football just months after Marseille made his transfer permanent.
The arrangement includes an option to buy at the campaign’s conclusion, though sources differ on the final cost. Initial reports from Footmercato suggested the option is set at €8m, but Gazzetta dello Sport and Tuttomercatoweb indicate the total operation could reach €10m once loan fees and add-ons are included.
Rapid Marseille Departure
The proposed move comes merely a year after Marseille activated an obligation to buy Traore for €7.7m. That clause formed part of the previous summer’s loan arrangement, yet the 26-year-old struggled to establish himself at the Stade Vélodrome. Recurring injury problems restricted him to just 19 appearances across all competitions last season, though he managed three goals and two assists during that time.
Marseille are keen to remove Traore’s salary from their wage bill as they navigate ongoing financial difficulties. The French club’s decision to move him on so quickly after completing his permanent signing underscores their need to balance the books.
Italian Return
The transfer would mark Traore’s fourth loan spell away from Bournemouth since the Premier League club acquired him for €25.6m in 2023. He has yet to feature competitively for the English side, instead spending temporary stints at Napoli, Auxerre and Marseille.
Traore possesses substantial Serie A experience having previously represented Empoli, Sassuolo and Napoli. During his earlier spells in Italy, he established himself as a creative attacking midfielder before his transfer to England prompted this sequence of temporary relocations.
Should he complete his medical successfully, Traore will travel to join the Genoa squad at their pre-season training camp in Moena. Manager Daniele de Rossi will hope the midfielder can rediscover the form that once made him one of the league’s most promising talents, provided he can overcome the fitness issues that have stalled his recent career.