Former Crystal Palace owner desçribes Meʂsi and Ronaldo as raŧs

close >

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi’s move to Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain has shocked the football world, but their moves have been likened to “rats abandoning financial sinking ships”.

Here’s what Simon Jordan on talkSPORT had to say about two of the greatest players in history after leaving Juventus and Barcelona respectively in the transfer window.

Although both players are now at new clubs, their stories are very contradictory, Messi had no option to leave Barcelona after the club simply could not give him a new contract.

On the contrary, Ronaldo was desperate to leave Juventus after spending three years in Turin where he could not help winning the Champions League.

Speaking on talkSPORT, Jordan was unimpressed by the behavior of either player as he said

: “There is an argument to be made, Messi and Ronaldo are like rats escaping financially sinking ships.

“It’s funny how they got out of Spain and Italy when I said finances from Spain and Italy, that might be one argument.

“Ronaldo is back at United, they are getting Ronaldo back, they are bringing back a player who was once at United a young boy who was great and they are still getting a great footballer back.

“When I see Manchester United and I see players like Mason Greenwood yesterday who was absolutely lively, it makes me think of the deal that took place here.

“Look at us, and look at what we did to you guys, we brought back something no one thought we could.”

Solskjaer, of course, will involve him directly on the field, “where he makes statements that the player will start normally and people will have to get used to that, well, I don’t know because the players have to be selected on merit.”