Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has agreed to join Marseille and take a considerable pay cut to end his Chelsea nightmare.
But Chelsea have told Marseille they want £5million for the 34-year-old and the deal could hinge on whether the Blues are willing to forego a transfer fee and let him leave for nothing.
Marseille had hoped to sign Aubameyang on a free after the striker agreed a two-year contract, with an option of a further year, to move to Ligue 1.
Should Chelsea demand a transfer fee then Aubameyang could lose out financially, as Marseille are likely to want to renegotiate the terms of his contract.
Aubameyang is thought to earn around £150,000 a week at Chelsea and will take a significant drop in wages to join Marseille.
Talks are continuing, with all parties keen to strike a deal for Aubameyang to leave Chelsea after a difficult year at Stamford Bridge.
Aubameyang joined Chelsea for £12m last summer to be reunited with Thomas Tuchel, but the German was sacked less than a week later.
In 22 appearances for Chelsea last season, Aubameyang scored just three goals.
