Aston Villa target Steve Mandanda not leaving Marseille in the transfer window
Thursday 7 January 2016 17:03, UK
Marseille goalkeeper Steve Mandanda, mentioned as a possible target for Aston Villa, has announced he will not be leaving the Ligue 1 club during the transfer window.
Speculation had been rife about the future of the 30-year-old France international, with Villa boss Remi Garde reported to be interested in signing him according to various newspapers in his homeland and England.
But Mandanda, who was also linked with Turkish club Besiktas, confirmed on his Facebook page on Thursday that he would not be leaving Marseille, at least before the end of the season.
He has been virtually an ever-present since joining the club back in 2007, and is a regular back-up to Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris in the France squad.
He wrote: "Out of respect for the Marseille fans, I decided to get out of my silence about my future. I hear a lot of things in the press about me, but this is what it really is...
"My agent has received proposals from various clubs to leave as soon as January. These proposals we have studied, I've weighed the pros and cons of what is best for me. And that's what is clear: I've decided to stay at Olympique de Marseille until the end of this season.
"One of the main reasons that pushed me today is my commitment to Marseille. I have responsibilities, I'm captain...
"My adventure with Olympique Marseille is not a simple adventure, it's a story, a part of my life I've built here.
"I don't know what will be done in my future but what I care about today is to start this second half of the season with my team-mates, hold at best my role of captain and goalkeeper of OM."
