"A complete lack of respect" - Bacary Sagna slams criticism directed towards 'special' Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi

Former Arsenal defender Bacary Sagna has hit back at Manchester United striker Cristiano Ronaldo and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) forward Lionel Messi's critics.

Ronaldo, who expressed his desire to leave Manchester United earlier this month, has been the talk of the town this summer. The club's failure to qualify for the UEFA Champions League last season and the lack of high-profile signings in the ongoing transfer window are believed to be key factors behind his decision.

Speaking to LordPing, Sagna opined about the transfer saga and voiced his support for both Ronaldo and his age-old rival Messi. He said:

"Well, we never know what is happening. There are so many stories. What we do know is that he is one of, if not the best strikers in the world and he has been for years. Him and Messi have been something incredibly special and when I hear people criticise them it makes me laugh. It is a complete lack of respect because they have been running the show for years."

He continued:

"Am I surprised? No, but only he knows if this is a real story. If it is true, I wouldn’t be surprised because he will want to compete at the highest level. He is a football lover and he is a winner. I'm sure he would have been disappointed with the season that Manchester United had because United are a club that belongs at the top and they were not at the top."

The former Auxerre and Manchester City right-back added:

"If the project is good and he has a good connection with the manager, then why wouldn't he want to go to Chelsea? All he wants to do is play football. It has nothing to do with money — he doesn’t need the money! When I watch him, he has the enthusiasm of a kid and he just wants to compete at the highest level. At his age, you have to respect that."

Apart from Chelsea, Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich and Ligue 1 champions PSG are interested in signing the Portuguese superstar, as per ESPN.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi await final FIFA World Cup

Set to appear in their fifth FIFA World Cup in Qatar later this year, Ronaldo and Messi will respectively lead Portugal and Argentina at the quadrennial event. With both the players in their late thirties, Qatar is expected to be their last opportunity to lift the prestigious trophy.

While Portugal will lock horns with Uruguay, Ghana and South Korea in Group H, Argentina will face Poland, Mexico and Saudi Arabia in Group C. The competition is set to kick off on November 21 and the final is scheduled for December 18.