Marseille have shortlisted Arsenal’s vice-captain Laurent Koscielny as a transfer target to approach, with the Ligue 1 side keen to tempt him back to France in a story that has been rumbling for a month or so now.

Chelsea’s Kurt Zouma could potentially be available on a season-long loan basis, whilst Fenerbahce’s Simon Kjaer and Sevilla centre-back Adil Rami are also among Rudi García’s list of players to make a swoop for this summer.

According to le10sport.com, Marseille are hoping to sign Nice defender Dante as Koscielny’s centre-back partner ahead of the new campaign.

They’re hoping to improve upon a fifth-placed finish, which sealed UEFA Europa League qualification but they were crucially 18 points off third-placed Nice, who themselves dropped off towards the end of this past season.

Marseille have certainly got the funds to compete with their rivals for acquisitions and will be hoping to attract some big names as they gradually edge closer towards becoming a household name in Europe once more.

Dimitri Payet joined them in January following an acrimonious departure from West Ham, whilst Florian Thauvin has been excellent this past season in helping fire his side to a reasonable level of success.

However, their defensive woes are a problem. They’ve conceded 41 goals in 38 matches, which might not seem like a lot on first viewing but one of their main weaknesses is their inability to reduce their opposition to a few opportunities on-goal.

If they sign players like Koscielny and Zouma for instance, their defence will collectively improve and build confidence across the squad.

It’s unlikely that they’ll persuade Arsenal to sell the club’s best defender though, unless he makes clear his desire to return this summer as opposed to a later date in his career.