OM to decide on Mbia extension

(GSM) – Olympique Marseille have confirmed that they considering offering defender Stephane Mbia a new contract in the next few months.

After enjoying a great end to last season as Marseille claimed the Ligue 1 title, the defender has endured a very difficult start to the new campaign, including being guilty of conceding a penalty in Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League defeat to Chelsea.

Speculation had been rife during summer that the Cameroon international was keen to move to a bigger European club.

However, a troublesome knee injury meant any reported transfer plans had to be put on hold.

Marseille sport director Jose Anigo explained Mbia wanted to take no risks with his knee pain, but refused to confirm suggestions the centre-back is trying to make the club offer him an improved contract.

Anigo told L’Equipe: “He is not someone nasty, who is planning trouble.

“Sometimes he can be difficult to follow, but Stephane is a good boy. He has a career strategy. He is taking a lot of care about his body. Indeed, he had a micro-lesion to his knee tendon that hurt him and he did not want to worsen it.

“Now he is penalised due to his lack of competition.”

The chairman of last season’s French champions, Jean-Claude Dassier, admitted he will talk about an extension in the winter.

The defender is currently under contract until 2013, but Dassier added: “That contract re-evaluation is logical because we want to keep him at the club for a long time.”