REPORTS FROM France are linking Marseille with an apparent ?4 million plus bid to take Everton's Alex Nyarko back across the Channel. The 27-year-old cost the Blues ?4.5 million when he arrived from French club Lens, just four months ago, with Everton beating off competition from the likes of Arsenal to sign the Ghanaian international.

However, Nyarko has since struggled somewhat to come to terms with the pace of the English game, and our information is that he would welcome a move back to France.

With Mark Pembridge, Stephen Hughes, Thomas Gravesen, Paul Gascoigne and now Scot Gemmill all offering strong competition for the two central midfield places at Goodison, Walter Smith might well decide that Nyarko is expendable, and could accept a sensible bid from Marseille, thus bringing in some much needed finance to the club.

Marseille are currently struggling in the French league, having lost four out of their last six games, and their manager Javier Clemente may well see Nyarko as the player to help end their alarming slump.