Cart team owner Gerald Forsythe told the Journal de Montreal newspaper this week that his attempt to attract Villeneuve back to Cart had foundered.

The 1997 world champion was offered the chance to race for the Player's team in 2003 before returning to F1 with his current team, British American Racing, Forsythe said.

But at the Belgian Grand Prix Villeneuve said he had never been presented with any deal.

Villeneuve called the report "pure fantasy".

Forsythe had said Villeneuve and his manager Craig Pollock were offered $19m (�12.4m) for next season.

"We would have loved to have been able to count on the services of someone like Jacques Villeneuve for a year," Player's team owner Gerald Forsythe told Le Journal.

"It would have been very good for Player's and for the Cart series. Unfortunately, Pollock asked for even more money."

Forsythe was not specific about the total value of the deal, but the newspaper said it was worth $50m (�30m) over three years.

But Villeneuve said: "I'm not amused by the report. If you were offered $50m you would take it, (but) I have seen no offer."

Forsythe said Villeneuve, who was Cart champion in 1995 with a Player's-sponsored car, will earn about $19m next year with BAR.

Under the proposed deal, he would have been paid that and committed to another two years at BAR.

His existing deal with BAR runs out at the end of next season.

"Their demands were too high," said Forsythe. "I'm not sure he will receive the same kind of offer from an F1 team at the end of his contract in 2003."

The deal has been pushed by BAR boss David Richards, who wants to spend Villeneuve's salary on developing the team's car next year.