Sofiane Boufal says there was no chance of him leaving Southampton last summer,.
Fresh from a successful loan in Spain with Celta Vigo, Boufal returned to St Mary's for preseason amid interest from Olympique Marseille.
However, the midfielder says his focus was always to stay with Saints.
He told Canal Plus: "The interest of OM? I am a fighter. I am not someone who will leave and choose the easy way out.
"For me, the easiest thing was to return to France for a club that absolutely wanted me.
"I wanted to fight here and prove to people that I can succeed in the Premier League."