On-loan Real Madrid midfielder Lucas Silva has denied reports he was kicked off the Marseille team bus for turning down the chance to leave the club.
The Brazilian signed for the Ligue 1 side in the summer on a year-long loan from the Santiago Bernabeu club but his move hasn’t worked out as hoped. He had only made appearances for the Stade Velodrome side and the French side were hoping to move him on in the January transfer window.
Belgian side Anderlecht were keen to end his French nightmare while a number of Brazilian teams were also keen on his signature. With the transfer window still open in his homeland, Silva has now been removed from Marseille’s Europa League squad in the hope they can move him on.
Reports in the L’Equipe said Silva had been forced to leave the team bus before it left for the match against Montpellier last week as he wouldn’t be part of the squad in any place.
But the midfielder released a statement to set the record straight.
He wrote: “During the last day of the winter transfer window, I took my place on the team bus with my teammates. Because of a possible transfer being negotiated, I was led to move in accordance with the transaction taking place. In this way, the Marseille directors advised me to stay in Marseille and not to travel with the team. I was never kicked off the bus as some media outlets announced.”
