Flying winger Hatem Ben Arfa is set for make-or-break talks with club side Marseille following a training-ground bust-up with coach Didier Deschamps on Tuesday 17 November.

The 22-year-old went to Deschamps' office to apologise after the angry exchange but the Mediterranean outfit appear to be losing patience with the France international.

Ben Arfa has failed to live up to expectations since arriving at OM from Lyon for €13m in the summer 2008, with reports suggesting Tuesday's confrontation could prove the final straw.

However, Deschamps has insisted it is up to the player whether he remains at the Stade Velodrome or moves on, with Portsmouth, Tottenham Hotspur, Sevilla and Villarreal believed to be among the clubs monitoring his situation.

"I could help, I can help, but it is he who holds the key. It is a question of balance. These are the demands at the highest level," said Deschamps, a FIFA World Cup™ winner with Les Bleus.

"I know that at any moment he can take out four opponents and create something, but football is not just about that. There are requirements with and without the ball. He has talent but he expresses it sparingly."

I know that at any moment he can take out four opponents and create something, but football is not just about that
Didier Deschamps on OM bad boy Hatem Ben Arfa

Meanwhile Marseille sporting director Jose Anigo, who has always defended Ben Arfa in the past, has now changed his tone.

"The coach has our full support. Hatem has slipped up again. He has two months to wait. Then we will discuss the situation with his representatives around a table," Inigo told L'Equipe.

"If he is happier in Marseille (by that point), we'll take stock. But it is necessary for the squad to work under good conditions. Hatem must comply with what Deschamps wants.

"If that does not suit him, he can talk with Didier and with me. We are ready to listen. But what we hope is that he keeps a professional attitude to the end. It's the least that he must do for us and also for himself."