Marseille midfielder Joey Barton has said that he will reach his peak as a footballer next season.

The 30-year-old midfielder believes that he can prove his worth to the French club if they can strike a deal with Queens Park Rangers this summer.

"Honestly, out of 10, I would give myself a five or a six for this season," he told l'Equipe. "France is yet to see the best of me. I was chasing my best form after a long suspension, but I started to feel more myself after our matches against Lyon and Ajaccio.

"Then I got injured and found myself on the bench again. It was pretty frustrating. I still have to show Marseille what I'm capable of. When I look at Ligue 1, I say to myself that if I can get back to my best form, there's no-one like me in France. There are lots of good midfielders who can do one or two things really well, but not everything.

"Either they can pass well, or they're imposing physically, but not both. I can pass, I can tackle and I can score. I haven't scored enough here this season. A midfielder should be aiming for between five and 10 goals a season. When I arrived, my aim was to be the best player in France. I didn't achieve that this season but I am yet to see anything to indicate that I can't achieve that goal."

Barton is due to return to his parent club QPR at the end of this season when his loan spell at Marseille comes to an end.