Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Marco Verratti has insisted that he did not come close to leaving his current club for Real Madrid in the summer.
The 22-year-old, whose agent recently claimed that the midfielder is now worth upwards of £70m, was strongly linked with a move to the Bernabeu in the most recent transfer window.
However, the Italian international has said that while he welcomed the reported interest, he always wanted to remain in Paris.
"It is an issue that is irrelevant now. It's nice when big teams are interested in you but my priority was always to stay at PSG. I am grateful to the club and I'm happy here. I don't see why I would leave," he told Canal Football Club.
Real Madrid will welcome PSG to the Bernabeu in the Champions League on Tuesday.
