Genoa have reportedly reached an agreement with Olympique Marseille to sign Ivory Coast midfielder Hamed Traore on a season-long loan. The arrangement includes an €8m option to buy, which would allow the Serie A club to make the transfer permanent at the end of the campaign.
According to reports from France, the deal would enable Marseille to remove Traore’s salary from their wage bill as they navigate ongoing financial difficulties. The French side only completed the permanent signing of the 26-year-old last summer, activating an obligation to buy worth €7.7m that was included in his initial loan agreement. Despite this commitment, injuries severely restricted his involvement, limiting him to just 19 appearances across all competitions. During those matches, he contributed three goals and two assists.
Italian Homecoming
Traore is well acquainted with Serie A, having previously represented Empoli, Sassuolo and Napoli during earlier phases of his career. His performances in Italy eventually prompted Bournemouth to invest €25.6m to secure his signature in 2023, yet the midfielder has been unable to establish himself in England.
Since moving to the Premier League club, Traore has embarked on a sequence of temporary relocations without featuring competitively for his parent side. He returned to Napoli on loan shortly after his transfer, then spent time with Auxerre in France, before the move to Marseille that became permanent last summer. The proposed switch to Genoa would mark his fourth loan spell away from Bournemouth.
Fresh Start
The reported agreement offers Traore a chance to reignite his career in a league where he previously flourished. Although fitness concerns have disrupted his recent seasons, the Ivorian has demonstrated considerable creative talent in Italian football, establishing himself as an attacking midfield threat during his time with Sassuolo and Napoli.
Genoa will anticipate that Traore can recapture the form that once marked him as one of Serie A’s most promising talents. Meanwhile, Marseille continue to reduce their expenditure, having decided to move the player on just months after making his stay official.