Madrid's 'team of stars' not distracted by Mbappe talk – Ancelotti
Kylian Mbappe continues to be linked with Real Madrid, but head coach Carlo Ancelotti is focused instead on the task at hand.
Carlo Ancelotti says neither he nor his Real Madrid "team full of stars" are overly concerned by speculation surrounding mooted target Kylian Mbappe.
The transfer window closes at the end of August and Madrid have so far signed only David Alaba, who was a free agent after leaving Bayern Munich.
Los Blancos are enduring financial difficulties amid the coronavirus pandemic, estimating it had cost them "close to €300million", meaning they will "continue in the effort so far to contain spending".
These statements have not prevented continued links to Paris Saint-Germain forward Mbappe, however.
The World Cup winner, now a team-mate of Lionel Messi as well as Neymar, is out of contract next year and is widely considered a top target for Madrid.
But Madrid coach Ancelotti was unmoved on Saturday, speaking ahead of the trip to Levante, by the suggestion Mbappe could arrive in the coming days.
"The atmosphere in the dressing room is very good because the players are focused on the work they are doing and they are not talking about the market," he said.
"You only talk about the matches and I don't know if everyone then thinks about this.
"I talk to the club every day and the idea that the club have about the future is the same as I have. But I don't think it's fair to talk about it here."
Ancelotti, who has won all four of his LaLiga games against Levante, added: "I don't care what's going to happen in the next few days.
"I have a very good squad that I really want to train with and I'm only focused on the team I have."
Former Madrid favourite Cristiano Ronaldo has also been linked with a return, yet he looks set to stay at Juventus and the idea was dismissed by Ancelotti.
"The issue is settled," he said. "After clearing up the rumours, I just want to say what I said before: the idea of the club is the same as mine.
"After that, everyone knows my affection for Cristiano."
Without bringing in Mbappe or Ronaldo, Madrid are a side seemingly lacking an obvious superstar – but Ancelotti disagrees.
"This squad as it stands can compete with everyone," he said. "We have a lot of top players.
"Courtois, Carvajal, Benzema, Bale, Hazard... I'm going to forget someone. This team is full of stars."
Karim Benzema has certainly picked up the slack since Ronaldo's departure in 2018, with no Madrid player scoring as many goals (89), providing as many assists (30) or playing as many games (148) as the France forward in all competitions in that time.
Benzema this week signed a contract extension to keep him at Madrid until the end of the 2022-23 season.
"Karim is a fundamental part of this team," Ancelotti said. "I'm not going to find out myself. I see him with more personality and more mature.
"It's a pleasure to coach him and watch him play. He has renewed and I am very happy and I think he is very much looking forward to continuing at Real Madrid."
Benzema scored twice in the opening fixture against Alaves and will be looking to net three times across the first two games of a league season for the first time.
That would go a long way to helping Madrid extend their unbeaten run in the competition to 20 matches, the longest current streak.