Marseille completed the sale of forward Vitinha to Genoa on Friday, following his loan spell with the Italian club in the latter half of the previous season.
Both Marseille and Genoa confirmed the transfer, although details were not extensively disclosed. According to sports daily L’Équipe, Genoa paid a sum of 16 million euros ($17.1 million) for the 24-year-old Portuguese player.
Genoa, under the ownership of 777 Partners, a financially beleaguered Miami-based investment firm whose bid to acquire Everton recently collapsed, has now secured Vitinha’s services permanently.
Despite its financial challenges, Genoa is looking to capitalize on valuable assets like Iceland forward Albert Gudmundsson, who is reportedly attracting interest from Inter Milan, the reigning Italian champions.
Vitinha initially joined Marseille from Braga in January 2023 for a record fee of 32 million euros ($34.2 million). However, his tenure at Marseille was marked by modest returns, with only six goals in 43 appearances. His loan stint at Genoa saw a slight improvement, where he managed to score two goals in nine outings. Genoa finished the Serie A season in 11th place.
The transfer underscores Marseille’s decision to part ways with Vitinha, possibly to recoup some of the investment made in him while allowing Genoa to strengthen its squad ahead of the upcoming season in Serie A.