Marseille deny bid for Ribery

MARSEILLE president Pape Diouf has dismissed claims his club yesterday received a huge bid from Lyon for their French international winger Franck Ribery.

It was widely reported in France that five-times league champions Lyon had lodged a 22 million bid for 23-year-old Ribery, one of France’s World Cup stars.

Ribery has also been linked with a move to Arsenal, but Lyon looked to have been the first to lodge an offer.

However, in a statement on club website www.om.net, Diouf denied any such bid had been received.

“We are expecting no offer from any club over this affair,” said Diouf.

Asked if he had received a bid from Lyon, Diouf said: “No, I have not received it and if this offer was a material one, it would have come the day before an important match for us and would be part of a destabilisation manoeuvre by OL (Lyon) and their president.”

Marseille take on Switzerland’s Young Boys in a UEFA Cup qualifier tonight.