Adel Taarabt might not be a Premier League footballer anymore, but his story remains one of great interest to a lot of football fans in England.
Departing QPR to play for Benfica in Portugal, the forward never made an appearance for the club’s first-team due to a mixture of manager changes, weight problems and off the field incidents.
Contracted to the club until 2020, Taarabt is now looking to bounce back somewhere, with France being his ideal spot.
Speaking to France Football, he said: “I’m not desperate to play in Europe, I just want a club that believes in me to play. We’re talking to a few clubs.
“[Marseille] is the city where I grew up, where my parents live. That would be a cool return home near my family. We were speaking about Hatem Ben Arfa [rejuvenating his career in France], but Lassana Diarra also relaunched himself at Marseille last year.
“They would be the ideal club, the one I need. I like pressure. With the experience that I have, I know a team what a team like OM will want from me. Today, I really miss football. If I come back, it wouldn’t be to mess around.”
It’s worth remembering Adel Taarabt hasn’t been in France since 2007, when he was bought from Lens by Tottenham for just over £3m.
Spells at QPR, Fulham and AC Milan, mostly all on loan, have shaped a nomadic career for a player constantly labelled as inconsistent.
Perhaps some consistency in his life, his football club, is exactly what the 27-year-old needs to find form on the pitch?
