Marseille president confirms Nice striker Loic Remy has heart problem after complications with medical

Marseille president Jean-Claude Dassier and club doctor Christophe Baudot have confirmed that the club have found a cardiac problem with Loic Remy.

The young striker was due to complete his move from Nice pending a medical, but the transfer ground to a shuddering halt earlier on Friday when the news broke that the press conference scheduled to announce his signing had been cancelled because of a hiccup in the tests on the player.

Rumours quickly spread that the France international had a cardiac defect, which was confirmed by the Ligue 1 champions on Friday afternoon.

“It's a mechanical problem,” club doctor Baudot explained via the club's official website. “On Monday, further investigations are programmed to be able to give clear answers to Loïc. He asked us to continue our investigations. He will not play until all doubts have been lifted.

“We’ve decided not to convene Loic Remy tomorrow [Saturday] because late last night a small problem occurred regarding his MRIs,” Dassier added. “The news this morning is reassuring, but we took this decision because what matters most is the health of player.”

It will therefore be next week that this issue is cleared up.

In recent years veteran players such as Lilian Thuram and Steve Savidan have been found to have heart defects, and both France internationals were forced to quit the game.

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Bordeaux priced out of Remy race

Bordeaux president Jean-Louis Triaud says his side will not be able to afford to buy striker Loic Remy after Nice turned down a €13.5 million offer from West Ham United.

Triaud, who is currently on the look-out for a replacement for Marouane Chamakh after the forward joined Arsenal, admits Les Girondins do not have the financial firepower to match the English Premier League club's bid.

He said: "They refused to accept €13.5 million from West Ham, I do not see how we could make a proposal that pleased them. I do not say it's too expensive, I do not know. In any case, it is not within our means."

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