David Beckham is happy at Real Madrid and is not looking for a move back to the English Premier League despite speculation linking him with Chelsea, he was quoted as saying by British newspapers yesterday.

　　"This is my first year and the first six months have gone so well I am not looking to move," he said in the News of the World. "I'm happy. I'm playing great football, everyone can see how much I am enjoying my football. Why leave?

　　"I will be a Real player next season."

　　Beckham joined his teammates in wearing black armbands as Real dropped points at the Bernabeu for only the second time this season with a 1-1 draw against Real Zaragoza on Saturday, in a game overshadowed by the bomb attacks in the city.

　　The teams meet again in the Copa del Rey final on March 17 as Real chases three trophies, including the league title and the Champions League. Victory in all three will emulate the treble Beckham achieved with former club Manchester United in 1999.

　　The nine-times European champion is top of La Liga and in the Champions League quarterfinals where it has to beat Monaco to reach a semifinal against either Arsenal or Chelsea.

　　Regarding talk of a move to Stamford Bridge, the England captain said: "I can categorically deny I've had any meetings with (owner) Roman Abramovich, any official from Chelsea, or any other club to discuss a move back to England.

　　"Chelsea knows as well as everyone else that I am a Real Madrid player. I signed a four-year contract," added Beckham, who joined the Spanish champion from Manchester United for just over US$40 million in 2003.

　　The only concern Beckham has about life in Madrid is the attention his family receives from the paparazzi. "I'm not left alone for five minutes every time I step out of my front door. But that is the only thing that affects me over here..."

　　"The people are great to me and so are the club and my teammates. And on the pitch I'm very, very happy."

　　Much of the talk about Beckham's future followed reports he would not be renewing the lease on a 4.5-million pound (US$8.08 million) mansion he rents on the outskirts of Madrid.

　　But he explained: "The lease on my house was due to expire at the end of April. We've extended it for one further month to take us until the end of the season when we will be moving into a new house in Madrid. I'm looking to buy a house."

　　"People say there are problems and I want to go back to England but all the speculation surrounding a move back home is rubbish," Beckham added. "There is absolutely no question of me putting in a transfer request. Why would I?"

　　(Reuters)