Barton keen to sort out future

The outspoken 29-year-old took to Twitter where, across 15 emotive tweets, he expressed his desire to leave QPR and move to France, having had a dramatic fall from grace at a club he has been at for just a year.

Currently serving a 12-game suspension after his now infamous sending off against Manchester City last season, the one-time England international was stripped of both the captaincy and his squad number by manager Mark Hughes over the northern summer.

As a result, talk of a move to the Stade Velodrome surfaced, something Barton was initially coy about.

But, in the wake of Elie Baup's side's 1-0 win at Montpellier, he decided to bare his soul to his 1.6 million followers on the social network site, writing: "Marseille won again as well. Allez les Marseillais. Maybe I'll see you all this week?"

Not content with that little teaser, he continued: "I am hopeful that things will be sorted out soon. Other clubs are in but I only want to play in Marseille. This is the place for me.

"Hopefully QPR and Marseille can finalise the deal in the next few days. My heart is already in the Velodrome."

Barton has endured something of a chequered time as a QPR player since arriving from Newcastle United a year ago.

He was made captain by then manager Neil Warnock, but then turned on the veteran on Twitter once he was sacked.

He retained the armband under Hughes, but was sent off in the final game of the season at Manchester City after a string of unsavoury on-field clashes, with the dismissal bringing about the ban he is currently serving and the exile he finds himself in.

Now, though, he criticised Hughes' actions - despite accepting them - and claimed he has been 'hawked' around, while also taking issue with the conditions he claims QPR has imposed upon him.

He added: "Not gonna cry about it. Maybe it's just time to move on. I enjoyed parts of last season and believe I am more than capable of playing this year. But the manager doesn't. Such is life.

"I have no problem with this as its my fault I am banned for 12 (10 now) games. When a person (makes) a decision he has to stand by that. I respect Hughes for this. I don't agree but accept his decision.

"I am not the type of player to sit on the sidelines and take the cash. It's not me. I could do that for the next 3 years but it's not me. I want to play football.

"Hopefully, the QPR fans will accept that. I offered to resign from the club/contract when I got my ban. (owner) @tonyfernandes (vice chairman) @Amit_Bhatia99 will testify that I am telling the truth.

"I accepted my punishment from the FA and the club for my behaviour against Man City like a man.

"I could of appealed as is my right. I choose not to out of respect. But when I returned to the club. I am forced to train away from the 1st team. I am stripped of the captaincy. Then, made to train at 3pm. Then, I am hawked around on loan.

"Then, I have my shirt number taken without any notice. Then, I read I wouldn't of been signed had the current regime been in place.

"I accepted all this. I never once spoke out of turn or angrily towards anybody. I am a man. I can only take so much. I want to leave.

"I hope to move on with my career, with my life. If that is in France, so be it. I don't want to be disrespectful to QPR but enough is enough

"Good night people. I've said enough for today. I'll get in trouble. No doubt. But this is how it is. This is life!"