Queens Park Rangers hate figure is told to return to the club

The man we all love to hate has been told that he is to return to Queens Park Rangers at the end of the season as the club he is on loan to - Marseille - do not have a deal in place to sign him permanently.

The feisty midfielder has endured a troubled life at Loftus Road. After signing for the club in 2011 he reportedly fell out with both managers he played under - Neil Warnock and Mark Hughes, and was sent out to ply his trade his the south of France.

To be fair to the mouthy midfielder, he has done well for himself at his new place of work. He has gradually worked his way into the match day squads and done enough to persuade coach Eile Baup to keep him there.

He has also won the heart of the fans. In his 21 games in Ligue 1 his passionate displays have aided the team to second place in the table. Life seems sweet for Barton, or so you would think.

However, QPR owner Tony Fernandes has come calling and reminded the former Manchester City man exactly where his priorities sit. Fernandes has reiterated that until L'OM make a formal offer then he expects the 30-year-old to return to Loftus Road.

He said: “Marseille have got to put an offer in. Joey is under contract and would be a very useful player for Queens Park Rangers.

“He helped Newcastle out of the Championship. Some would say we lacked his fighting spirit in the midfield. But if Joey and Marseille want the transfer, then we will talk. However, he is a QPR player, and is contracted to QPR."

Barton has conceded that a permanent move to Stade Velodrome is what he want and that his heart is firmly on the southeast coast of France. He took to Twitter to say: “Yes, I have seen @tonyfernandes comments. What can I say technically he is right. I do have 2 year contract but it is also true that Marseille have made me an offer to stay.

"When the season finishes, I'll sit down with my family and decide. It will be difficult for me to leave Marseille. A club that is close to my heart. They backed me when nobody else did. I'll never ever forget that."

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