Rafael van der Vaart appears content to spend another year at his German club SV Hamburg, the Dutch playmaker said in an interview published on Sunday, the dpa reported.
"I am set to spend another season in Hamburg," van der Vaart told Germany's Welt am Sonntag paper.
The Hamburg captain and Netherlands midfielder van der Vaart, 25, said he had not signed a pre-contract with Real Madrid and added that he hoped for another good season at the northern Germans.
"Now we have the team to achieve something," said van der Vaart, whose team placed fifth in the last Bundesliga season.
Van der Vaart came to Hamburg in 2005 and has a contract until 2010. But he can leave next year for 1.5 million euros (2.4 million dollars).
This summer would have offered the last chance for Hamburg to sell him for a big fee. But van der Vaart has said he only wants to go to a European top club and Hamburg will veto any move once the season starts on August 15.
New Hamburg coach Martin Jol, also a Dutchman, is set to give van der Vaart every freedom on the pitch.
"Rafael is one of the five best playmakers in Europe, he dictates the action here. Everyone knows how important he is for the team," said Jol.