Marseilles say they enquired about the availability of Didier Drogba during the current transfer window, but were told that Chelsea are unwilling to sell him. The French club have since decided to buy Brandão, the Brazilian striker, from Shakhtar Donetsk.

Drogba, who spent the 2003-04 campaign at the Stade Velodrome, was Marseilles' No 1 target, according to Robert Louis-Dreyfus, the club's owner.

However, their attempt to re-sign the player they sold to Chelsea for about £24million in 2004, was quickly rebuffed.

"I called [Chelsea chief executive] Peter Kenyon to sound him out about Didier Drogba," Louis-Dreyfus told L'Equipe, the French newspaper. "But they absolutely do not want to let him go."

Drogba has been dropped from Chelsea's side to face Southend in the FA Cup tonight, becoming the first victim of Luiz Felipe Scolari's get-tough policy following their 3-0 defeat by Manchester United on Sunday.

The striker won France's Player of the Year award while at Marseilles.

Brandao should complete his move from Shakhtar Donetsk today once he passes a medical. The clubs agreed terms on the transfer yesterday.