David Beckham's advisers yesterday denied there had been any contact with Chelsea about a possible return to the Premiership for England's captain.
Speculation about Beckham's private life has led to suggestions the Londoner is keen for a summer move to Stamford Bridge, where he is known to be admired by the owner, Roman Abramovich.
The story comes in the light of an election campaign being mounted by Enrique Sobrino, a millionaire candidate for the Real Madrid presidency who claims to be determined to reverse the policies of Florentino Perez and offload a number of the club's foreign stars. However, Beckham's representatives dismissed the Chelsea reports as "rubbish".
"Three or four weeks ago there was an interview in which David said everything is going very well at Real Madrid, and he is happy there," said a source. "He said he has no intention of going to Chelsea and the situation has not changed."
Beckham's contract at Real runs until 2007 and for the most part he has been well received by the fans. However, Sobrino said: "Beckham has to change. I would listen to offers for him."
His claim he would be more than prepared to sell the England captain - and that Luis Figo and Roberto Carlos would be on borrowed time - has been taken even less seriously in Spain than England, moreover, not least because he is reckoned to have no chance of winning, not even if Perez decides against standing.
Perez has not yet declared his intentions - and his commitment to Real Madrid has been a serious bone of contention with the board of ACS, the construction company over which he presides.
However, if he stands he would almost certainly win. After all, it was he who achieved the impossible by clearing Madrid's €225 million debt, struck a decisive blow against Barcelona in buying Luis Figo, and gathered together their most glamorous team with the purchases of Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo and Beckham.
Perez would stand by Beckham, if the Englishman wants to stay. Sources insist he will stand but even if he does not, leaving the way for the director of football Emilio Butragueno, Sobrino hardly carries enough weight.
He is seen as a not entirely serious option all but ignored by the press and Madrid supporters. Besides, there is no indication that selling Beckham, still popular with the fans, would be much of a vote winner.
Sobrino has not said why he would be willing to see Beckham leave, but the allegations about Beckham's off-pitch liaisons have emerged at a sensitive time, with Real slipping into a crisis which some consider has been exacerbated by the activities of some of the squad.
A 30-metre banner hung at their Las Rozas training ground last week reading: "For you lot, whores and money; for us, indignation and repression."
Such accusations were aimed more at Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos and nobody doubts Beckham's whole-hearted commitment, but his arrival has been seen as an open invitation for Spain's voracious gossip press, now taking a keener interest in footballers.
