Bernabeu Star Refutes Manchester United Conjecture

Real Madrid midfielder Sami Khedira has refuted reports linking him with a lucrative move to Manchester United or Chelsea next month.

According to various sources, the German international has reportedly caught the eye of Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson as the Old Trafford supremo looks to address his perceived midfield weakness. Likewise Chelsea have been linked with a host of high-profile targets ahead of next month's hotly anticipated January window.

Manchester United were strongly linked with the 24-year-old prior to his move from VfB Stuttgart to the Bernabeu in 2008, and Ferguson is believed to have retained that admiration ever since.

Khedira has featured in plenty of games for Real Madrid this season, featuring in 12 La Liga games for Jose Mourinho, but only seven of those have been starts. As a result rumours abound of a potential move away from the club in order to maintain his place in the increasingly competitive German national setup, ahead of next summer's European Championships. In addition to Manchester United and Chelsea, Inter Milan have also been credited as potential suitors, as Khedira struggles to establish himself in Mourinho's patently talented side.

Manchester United were believed to be considering making an audacious offer for the midfielder of Tunisian descent, but Khedira maintains his future lies at Real Madrid.

"To me, nothing comes around. I stay at Real," The reputed Manchester United and Chelsea target told German publication Kicker.

While Manchester United's interest remains conjecture, Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas recently distanced himself from a move for Khedira, by intimating the rumour "is not true".

Although Khedira remains on the periphery of Mourinho's first choice starting XI, the robustly, athletic central midfielder is an important member of Real's squad and looks an unlikely arrival either Manchester United or Chelsea next month.