Real Madrid Transfer News: Latest on Eden Hazard, Lucas Silva and Marco Asensio

With less than a month to go before the January transfer window opens, Real Madrid are positioning themselves to make a number of big splashes, according to the latest reports.

Carlo Ancelotti's squad has enjoyed a nearly flawless start to the 2014-15 campaign, but great teams never stop improving. It would be a shock if Los Blancos didn't add at least one big name and a handful of young talents who could pay huge dividends at some point in the future.

Midfielders and wide players appear to be the club's main focus for January, so let's have a look at the latest reports coming out of the Spanish capital.

Big January Offer for Eden Hazard?

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The Daily Express' David Wright reports Real and Paris Saint-Germain are ready to offer £70 million for Chelsea's Eden Hazard when the January window opens, despite reports coming from Stamford Bridge that the Belgium international is closing in on a new deal.

Manager Jose Mourinho remains confident the winger will soon put pen to paper on a new contract, saying: "If they're happy to be here, like Eden is showing, he will sign a new contract sooner or later. They can basically be the Chelsea team for the next few years."

The 23-year-old is one of the Blues' key players, and his seven goals and three assists across all competitions have played a big part in the team's unbeaten start to the season, via WhoScored.com.

The tricky Belgian is responsible for most of Chelsea's attacks coming from the wide areas, putting his dribbling ability to good use, via Squawka:

With Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez occupying the space around striker Karim Benzema, Real hardly need another wide player or attacking midfielder. And while Los Blancos aren't afraid to spend big, £70 million may be a price even Florentino Perez isn't willing to pay for a luxury like Hazard.

PSG remains the more realistic destination, although it seems unlikely Hazard will leave Chelsea during the January window.

Cruzeiro Won't Budge on Lucas Silva Asking Price

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Cruzeiro club president Gilvan de Pinho Tavares has no intention of lowering his team's asking price for star midfielder Lucas Silva, telling reporters he won't even listen to offers under €15 million, as reported by AS.

During a press conference, he said:

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There’s no definitive offer yet—we’re waiting to receive a formal offer but we have already set a price for the player, based on his market value; for any figure lower than 15 million euros, Cruzeiro is not willing to negotiate.

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The 21-year-old is one of Brazil's fastest-rising stars and has already spoken of his desire to play for Real, claiming his agent is in negotiations with the club in an interview with SporTV, via AS:

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I don’t know if they are going to suggest presenting me in the middle or at the end of the season, if I will stay for the Libertadores or not—I still do not know how it will happen. But it would be interesting for me to stay for the Libertadores and then introduce myself in pre-season with the rest, it would be.

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Ancelotti has already ruled out making any signings in January, via AS' Nicholas Rigg:

Silva is often compared to compatriot and former Real Madrid star Kaka for his excellent passing ability and keen eye for goal, and as shared by the Daily Mirror's Jack Lang, it was no surprise to see him selected to the Brazilian league's Team of the Year:

A price tag of €15 million seems reasonable for a player of Silva's calibre, and with teams from England also reportedly interested, according to De Pinho Tavares, Los Blancos will likely meet the valuation if their interest in the midfielder is genuine.

Mallorca Won't Sanction Marco Asensio Sale Just Yet

Young starlet Marco Asensio seems all but certain to complete a transfer to Real Madrid very soon, but current club Mallorca decided to postpone the sale of their prized winger after an unsuccessful meeting on Thursday, as reported by Marca's Paco Munoz.

Miguel Angel Nadal, the team's director of football, commented on the meeting, apologising to Los Blancos for the holdup:

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We didn't have enough time. I didn't manage to participate in the board meeting because their discussions of the club's accounts kept on being extended. Marco needs to have his future decided, so I apologise to him, but at the moment it's a matter of waiting. I'm convinced that the move will go through. Real Madrid were waiting for a response, so I'm going to have to apologise to them because we don't have one, although I have to say apologising is not something I particularly like to do when I'm not personally to blame. If it wasn't for Mallorca I wouldn't be doing this.

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According to AS' Manu Sainz, the sale is being delayed because club president Gabriel Cerda wants a bigger transfer fee from Real, with Barcelona reportedly willing to pay a sum closer to the player's buyout clause.

Real had an offer of €3.7 million approved by Nadal, at which point the club reached a verbal agreement with Asensio. With Mallorca now holding out for a bigger sum, the team could be in violation of the 18-year-old's contract, adding yet another wrinkle to this complex saga.

According to Sainz, Asensio now has the right to cancel his contract, in which case Madrid would pay the sum of €3.7 million to the player directly. If this happens, Asensio can't play for Real during the 2014-15 season. Via Real's Twitter feed, that would be in line with Ancelotti's wishes:

Nadal remains convinced the move will go through, however, and if Sainz's report regarding the contract situation is correct, Mallorca will likely choose to comply with the player's wishes, rather than lose him for free.

Unless Barcelona find a way to pry Asensio away from their hated rivals, this should be no more than a bump in the road that brings the talented winger to the Spanish capital.

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