David Villa plays the waiting game

Real Madrid target David Villa says the past week has been unbearable with his future up in the air.

The striker, who scored in Spain’s 2-0 win over South Africa at the Confederations Cup on Saturday, was believed to be heading to Madrid after Real president Florentino Perez declared the move was only “a matter of time”.

But on Friday new Valencia chief Manuel Llorente said the club had decided not to sell the 27-year-old unless they received a “scandalously” high offer.

“I don’t believe that my future will be settled quickly,” Villa, who has never hidden his desire to play for Real, said here.

“The past week hasn’t been easy, nobody can imagine what I’ve been through. It has been a really bad time. I must just put it out of my mind.”