Barrada hopes Mandanda remains at Marseille

Abdelaziz Barrada hopes Steve Mandanda remains a Marseille player for the remainder of the season despite links to a move away.

The 30-year-old moved to the Stade Velodrome from Le Havre in 2007 and has missed just six Ligue 1 matches since.

Besiktas and Liverpool are reportedly targeting the France international, but Barrada is keen to see the captain stay at Marseille beyond the January transfer window.

“I hope he stays until the end of the season. This is someone who makes us feel good,” the Algeria international said.

“We know his qualities. It will be up to him to make his decision but I hope he will stay.”

Mandanda saved three penalties in Marseille’s 3-1 shoot-out victory over Caen in the Coupe de France on Sunday, and the 26-year-old was full of praise for his team-mate.

“At the end our goal was to get to penalties because we knew we had a quality keeper,” Barrada added.

“We thank him for our qualification. Steve got us out of a complicated situation and we are proud of him.”