Marseille president Pablo Longoria has denied the club are interested in signing Cristiano Ronaldo with a brutal dig at the superstar.
Ronaldo, 37, has been dropped by Manchester United for storming down the tunnel during their 2-0 win against Tottenham on Wednesday evening. He will not be part of their squad for Saturday's game against Chelsea after showdown talks with Erik ten Hag.
The Portugal international's future is in doubt following his strop. He's scored just two goals in 12 appearances this season and is no longer United's first-choice forward. He attempted to leave Old Trafford in the summer but failed to find a new club.
Some fans have urged Marseille to sign Ronaldo in January. The Ligue 1 club are fourth in the table and have a good chance of progressing to the knockout stages of the Champions League. Ronaldo's desire to play in the latter competition again is no secret.
Yet Longoria isn't keen - insisting he wants to sign players who will put the team first. "Football is very clear," he told RMC Sport, as quoted by Get French Football News. "You make do with the means you have at your disposal, with a financial balance.
"You have to do everything to get better results, seek to improve the team, but with financial stability. That’s important in 2022. We need a sustainable financial situation.
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"We are far from ideas like that [of signing Ronaldo], of big stars, individual players. We’re more focused on team players who put in individual performances which serve the team... We have a project where everyone needs to work for a collective."
Ronaldo could be accused of not being a team player after explaining his strop in an Instagram post on Thursday evening. He played his actions on the "heat of the moment" - which seems a bizarre claim considering United were on their way to a memorable victory.
Ronaldo wrote: "As I’ve always done throughout my career, I try to live and play respectfully towards my colleagues, my adversaries and my coaches. That hasn’t changed.
"I haven’t changed. I’m the same person and the same professional that I’ve been for the last 20 years playing elite football, and respect has always played a very important role in my decision making process.
"I started very young, the older and most experienced players examples were always very important to me. Therefore, later on, I’ve always tried to set the example myself for the youngsters that grew in all the teams that I’ve represented. Unfortunately that’s not always possible and sometimes the heat of the moment get’s the best of us.
"Right now, I just feel that I have to keep working hard in Carrington, support my teammates and be ready for everything in any given game. Giving in to the pressure is not an option. It never was. This is Manchester United, and united we must stand. Soon we’ll be together again."
