Espanyol star cools talk of move to Manchester City

Manchester City target Victor Ruiz has cooled speculation linking him with a move away from Espanyol.

But the cash-strapped club might be forced to sell the £7million-rated defender to ease their financial problems anyway.

After a bright start in La Liga, Espanyol sit fifth, 15 points clear of the relegation zone, so their top-flight status seems assured for this season at least.

And their apparent safety might now tempt the board to sell Ruiz, and other stars, to raise much-needed money.

But Ruiz, who has been linked with a move to City for some time, told Com Radio: "I want to stay at Espanyol - thanks to this club I can earn my living doing what I love, which is football.

"I feel very comfortable here at my city, with my family and my friends. I just think about what surrounds Espanyol, which is fantastic."