Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane has insisted that the club has no intention of selling Cristiano Ronaldo any time soon.
The Frenchman begins life on the bench for the Spanish giants against Deportivo on Saturday, and the pressure is on his shoulders to prove that he is ready for the top job at the Bernabeu.
However, Ronaldo’s future has been a topic of great debate in recent months, with suggestions that a tense relationship with former boss Rafael Benitez had forced him to consider his options.
Despite the exit of the Spaniard, Ronaldo is still said to be contemplating a departure, although Zidane is under no doubt as to what he wants from the 30-year-old.
“Cristiano is more than untransferable, he’s the soul of this Madrid. As long as I’m here he won’t leave, that’s for sure,” he said, as reported by Sky Sports.
“Cristiano will play along the wing and he’ll play whatever happens. I’m going to give few instructions to Cristiano, his record talks for itself.
“The only thing I want is that he feels happy, at ease.”
Zidane added that he isn’t expecting a busy January transfer window, as he doesn’t believe he needs to make any signings given the size of his current squad, and doesn’t want to lose any of the individuals currently at his disposal.
As a result, all eyes will be on the Spanish capital on Saturday to discover whether or not he can make a winning start to life as coach of the senior side or if the doubters will have further reason to believe that he perhaps isn’t ready for the limelight yet.