OMNISPORT

Real Madrid will definitely not sell midfielder Mateo Kovacic in the January transfer window, according to director general Jose Angel Sanchez.

The Croatia international made his first appearance since September in Tuesday's Copa del Rey draw with Fuenlabrada, having been sidelined with a torn adductor muscle.

The 23-year-old was linked with a move away from the Santiago Bernabeu at the end of last season and his future has again become the subject of speculation in the build-up to the next transfer window.

Sanchez, however, is adamant he will not be moving on, despite confirming there was interest from Tottenham and Inter this year.

"Kovacic is not for sale, we will never sell him! If there is any offer for him in January, we will reject it," he told Sportske Novosti.

"Last summer, there were a lot of offers and questions about him. Juventus and [AC] Milan didn't send offers but Inter must have. And from England... it was Tottenham.

"Mateo is smart guy; he knows he would have played in the starting line-up of each of those teams that want him but he is aware we count on him, too. He is one of the players Madrid rely on for the club's future."