[3] Méïté joined Marseille in July 2000, where he made 172 league appearances, as well as many in European competitions – including one against Bolton in January 2006.
[6] Megson subsequently forced Méïté to train with the reserves, and the player was widely expected to move on from the Reebok Stadium.
He had previously missed only twelve League games in the two years he had been at Bolton, and five of these were while he was representing Ivory Coast in the African Nations Cup in January and February 2008.
As the 2008–09 season approached, Méïté was linked with Premier League newcomers West Bromwich Albion and Hull City, both of which had bids accepted by Bolton.
[citation needed] For the first ten Championship games of the 2009–10 season, Shelton Martis was preferred by the Baggies' new first team coach, Roberto Di Matteo, and there was speculation that Méïté might be allowed to leave.
Since the sacking of Di Matteo in early 2011, due to a poor sequence of results, Méïté has seen a revival under the tutelage of new head coach Roy Hodgson.
To the surprise of many Albion fans, Méïté was brought back to partner Olsson against Stoke City, which added to the 3–3 draw vs West Ham under caretaker manager Michael Appleton, has resulted in a 7-game unbeaten run, including a 2–1 home win over Liverpool.
The organizational skills brought in by Hodgson has galvanized the Albion defensive unit, with Méïté bringing a composed, positional sense to the controlled aggression of Olsson.