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Rothen eager to stay

MONACO'S Jerome Rothen says that the club's players are facing uncertainty due to the current financial strife, meaning that any of them could be sold at the drop of a hat during the transfer window.

The Principality side have major money worries after failing to find a buyer, and several of their big names have been linked with moves away.

Rothen himself has been linked with Marseille but says he is happy to stay, and reckons he will have the final say.

"Marseille? I know Alain Perrin made me play at Troyes and so appreciated me," said Rothen.

"But I don't know what Marseille want to do.

"I am under contract with Monaco until 2006. Monaco may have set an amount for my transfer.

"I know in one week I can be somewhere else, it is part of the job.

"If Marseille or others make offers, we will see. But I will have the last word."

Rothen does warn the club that he would consider leaving should some big stars leave, as he came to Stade Louis II to win things.

Defender Rafael Marquez has wanted to leave for some time, but other departures could spell the end of Monaco's title challenge, and that might lead to a mass exodus.

"I came to Monaco to win something. If we lose one or two players, the team will be weakened," added Rothen.

"If there are departures, we have to see from whom, and then I will see. If one or two major players will leave, that will prove we are not at the best on a financial level and the ambitions will not be the same anymore.

"Except Rafael Marquez who has wanted to leave for several months, we are in a strange situation. We didn't ask for anything, and especially not to leave.

"Giuly for example, he wants to stay. We hope nothing will move before the end of the season."

The 24-year-old is hoping that Didier Deschamps can keep most of his squad in order to continue with their challenge for Le Championnat crown.

"We are two points from the top, we won't say we aim for second place. It is true we want to be European, but between the players, we want the title.

"We will have to wait for the end of January to see what team we will have. With our present team, there is no reason to aim for anything else other than first place."