Despite Marseille’s £15 million move for 21-year-old Serbian midfielder Ivan Ilic getting Fabrizio Romano’s famous “here we go”, it appears as though Italian outfit Torino have potentially hijacked the deal.
Romano has now reported that: “Torino are now confident to hijack the deal for Ivan Ilić — Olympique Marseille had full agreement on club and player side but Ilić could change his mind.
“Torino would sign Ilić immediately and not in July as OM agreed with Verona.”
Torino Reportedly Hijack Marseille Deal for Ivan Ilic
Torino are now confident to hijack the deal for Ivan Ilić — Olympique Marseille had full agreement on club and player side but Ilić could change his mind 🚨🇷🇸 #transfers #OM
Torino would sign Ilić immediately and not in July as OM agreed with Verona. pic.twitter.com/bFSXny7NJy
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 26, 2023
Why is Ilic In-Demand?
Despite Hellas Verona languishing in the bottom three of the Serie A table, the 21-year-old has had an impressive individual season.
The Serbian is a well-rounded central midfielder, with impressive dribbling skills and an ability to progress the ball up the pitch through powerful runs or intelligent passes. At such a young age, he is already showing signs of developing into an excellent box-to-box midfielder in the future.
His decision-making and defensive awareness can be disappointing at times, and his passing still lacks the same consistency as the very best midfielders in world football. But he is a raw talent, and those aspects will likely develop as Ilic matures and grows into his position.
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A Complicated Situation
Prior to Torino attempting to hijack the deal, the midfielder had already agreed to personal terms with Marseille in a deal that would see him join the club at the start of next season.
The French outfit are flying in Ligue 1 this season, currently sitting in third place, just five points adrift of league leaders Paris Saint-Germain. A move to Marseille, therefore, provides the Serbian with a great opportunity for potential Champions League football in the 2023/24 campaign.
However, there are plenty of reasons for the 21-year-old to also consider a move to Torino. The club are currently eighth in Serie A and would allow him to stay in Italy. The move would also be an immediate one, which would allow him to get settled into his new team before the start of next season.
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It certainly will not be an easy decision for the player, and whilst Torino insist they are confident, there could still be yet another twist in this transfer saga.
