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Crystal Palace's Yohan Cabaye plays down Marseille speculation

Yohan Cabaye has told L'Equipe that Marseille tried to sign him during the January window but he is focused on helping Crystal Palace get out of their "complicated situation" in the Premier League.

Cabaye was in the Palace side routed 4-0 at home by Sunderland last Saturday, a defeat that left Sam Allardyce's men second-from-bottom of the table, two points from safety.

But the France international could have instead been in southern France competing for a top-four finish in Ligue 1 after Rudi Garcia, his former boss at Lille, attempted to sign him for Marseille last month.

However, Cabaye, who signed a three-year deal at Selhurst Park following his transfer from Paris Saint-Germain in summer 2015, opted to remain in England in a bid to save Palace from the drop.

"It's flattering, because OM are one of the great French clubs. But my life is in London, my club, and I'm focused on that," Cabaye, who won the French double under Garcia at Lille in 2010-11, said.

"It's flattering. Really. I have immense respect for Rudi, the coach and the person he is. But there is a reality. And we're in a complicated situation with the club. What I can say is that the only link I have with Marseille is that my fourth daughter was born there, that's all."