Marseille have no plans to offload Mathieu Valbuena, according to coach Didier Deschamps and the player's agent Christophe Huteau.
Playmaker remains a part of Deschamps' plans
Marseille have no plans to offload Mathieu Valbuena, according to coach Didier Deschamps and the player's agent Christophe Huteau.
After making a positive start to the season, the France international has seen his form dip over recent weeks.
He is no longer guaranteed a starting berth at club level, while he was overlooked by national team coach Laurent Blanc for a friendly double-header in November.
It has been suggested that it might be time for Valbuena to move on, with a fresh start required to inject new life into his career.
Marseille were reportedly willing to listen to offers in the New Year, but Deschamps insists he has no plans to part with the 27-year-old playmaker.
He told
L'Equipe: "On a psychological level, he took the snub by the French team badly.
Improving
"His mind started influencing his legs and he endured a tough period. He is, however, working hard and has always behaved properly.
"I don't think about a possible departure for him. The chairman might tell me there has been an offer, but it is not topical at the moment.
"No-one has been eliminated from the team. He is improving if you look at his statistics. He has done a lot in the past and I will not forget him."
Valbuena's agent has also sought to play down speculation suggesting his client could be on the move in January.
Huteau said: "Not being called up by the French team has affected him, but you don't know him very well if you think that will weigh on his mind for weeks.
"This is not a matter of life and death. He played a lot early in the season and he has not done as well in recent matches. People need to give him time.
"At the moment we are not considering a departure."
