The best are at Barcelona, beginning with Messi' – Valverde rejects Ronaldo guarantee

The Madrid Real hotshot trusts he is "the best player ever", yet an adversary manager says he would be at Camp Nou if that was the situation

Ernesto Valverde rejected Cristiano Ronaldo's claim that he is the "best player ever", inferring that Lionel Messi and his Barcelona players are in reality the world's tip top.

Ronaldo won his fifth Ballon d'Or on Thursday to run level with Messi and drummed up something of some excitement with his post-triumph meet.

The Portuguese made the strong claim that he is the best player in history on the grounds that nobody else has ever been as "total" as he seems to be.

In any case, Valverde did not think much about that announcement, proposing Ronaldo would play for Barcelona in the event that it was the situation.

"Everybody has their own particular assessment," Valverde said in front of Sunday's La Liga conflict with Villarreal.
                                         
                                               
                                                 
"They can state it freely or not on the off chance that they don't care to, but rather for me the best players are here at Barcelona, beginning with Lionel Messi and took after by every other person."

Valverde has battled with various damage issues since his entry as mentor and is amped up for the possibility of Rafinha and Ousmane Dembele nearing returns.

"Rafinha did a rondo [a passing-based preparing drill] a few days ago," Valverde said. "It was the first run through he's prepared with the group since I came here.

"It's actual, I'm somewhat on edge to see some of these folks out there [on the pitch], as Rafinha.

"I saw him play at Celta [Vigo] and I need to see this player play and not simply in preparing.

"With Dembele, he had extreme damage and we'll perceive how he can get back, little by little."