Jorge Valdano admits Real Madrid have turned their focus elsewhere after Valencia declared their intentions not to sell David Villa.

Madrid had seemed in pole position to sign Villa with cash-strapped Valencia looking resigned to selling the prize asset, but the long-running saga took a big twist on Friday when Los Che announced they had taken the player off the market.

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"The situation with Villa is 100% finished. There was a call from president to president in which they told us that Villa was not for sale," Valdano told Radio Nacional de Espana (RNE).

"We understand that we need to go for an alternative, which we are working on."

Among the players who Madrid are being linked to as possible additions up front next season are Inter Milan hitman Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Lyon's Karim Benzema and Diego Forlan, who was La Liga's leading scorer last season with Atletico Madrid.

Valdano was keeping his cards close to his chest though, saying: "Forlan, Ibrahimovic and Benzema are three greats of world football. But this does not mean Madrid are working towards signing one of them."

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