Marseille keen to strike up partnership with Chelsea and take Blues starlets on loan

Chelsea have opened talks with Ligue 1 giants Marseille over a new loan partnership between the two clubs.

The Premier League champions have already sought to expand their reach across Europe having made contact with Belgian clubs Royal Mouscron-Peruwelz and Royal White Star Brussels in April.

But the club could soon strike their biggest agreement yet with Marseille, who are hoping to bring Belgian starlet Charley Musonda to the Stade Veledrome in the first of a series of loan deals between the two European giants.

OM president Vincent Labrune confirmed meetings with Chelsea technical director Michael Emenalo and is confident of a fruitful arrangement being struck.

"I told Emenalo a club like Marseille was very interested to build something with a club like Chelsea and have some of the young players on loan," Labrune told the Independent.

"Players who have big potential but cannot get into the first team in the Premier League, they come here on loan and the English club pays part of the salary."

The Blues currently have a successful partnership with Dutch side Vitesse Arnhem, who have taken a number of youngsters on loan from the Premier League side to provide them with top-flight experience in the Eredivisie.

Meanwhile, the club are yet to finalise any agreement with either top flight Belgian side Mouscron or second tier side Royal White Star Brussels.

But Mouscron vice-president Michel Franceus last month revealed there had been contact with the Premier League side while RWS chairman John Bico, former agent of current Blues star Eden Hazard, spoke enthusiastically of a deal being struck with his club.

Any arrangement with Marseille could see Chelsea break their links with Vitesse, who have shared 14 loan deals with the club dating back to the 2010-11 season. The Blues trio of Bertrand Traore, Wallace and Josh McEachran are currently playing in the club in the Eredivisie, where there is one game of the season remaining.