Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has moved swiftly to dispel reports which had suggested he believed the club’s summer sale of Mesut Ozil to Arsenal was a mistake.
Ancelotti told the press no such interview had taken place and that the quotes had been fabricated.
The Italian said: “It is unfounded. I’m surprised a newspaper invented this story, I’ve explained myself over and over again.
“There is no story there. I am not going to speak about a player who is no longer here,” he added.
Ozil, whose Madrid departure was met with outrage by some of the club’s star players, has been a revelation since moving to England and a key figure as Arsenal currently lead the Premier League, but Ancelotti has said Alvaro Morata and Fabio Coentrao will not be following him out of the club during the current transfer window.
The 54 year-old said: “Morata hasn’t asked to leave. We need Morata to be here and I think he is happy here. We have no first choice players, subs or reserves. It is a big squad.
Morata has been attracting interest from Juventus, Arsenal and Inter Milan, whilst Coentrao has been subject to interest from Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United.
