Real Madrid Transfer News: Latest on Gabriel Jesus and Dimitri Payet Rumours

Real Madrid have moved ahead of rivals Barcelona in the race to sign Palmeiras starlet Gabriel Jesus.

That’s according to Gonzalo Castro of AS, who noted Palmeiras sporting director Alexandre Mattos is in Spain discussing a potential transfer. Castro cited Lance and Globo Esporte with regard to Mattos' whereabouts, and he stated other sections of the Brazilian media have stated the player is on his way to the Santiago Bernabeu.

This is how the newspaper covered the story, per AS English:

It’s suggested Barcelona, Manchester United and Bayern Munich are also interested in snapping up the youngster, who has a €24 million (£20 million) release clause in his contract.

Here is a look at why so many elite clubs are reportedly chasing the 19-year-old star:

Castro added while Madrid are excited by the prospect of landing the youngster, it’s likely he’ll be sent back to Palmeiras on loan to continue his development. Jesus is challenging for the Brazilian title with his club and on course to become the youngest top scorer in the division’s history, with 14 goals already this term.

There’s little doubt the forward possesses the potential to go to the top of the game, and it’s going to be fascinating to see how he fares in the coming months. The teenager is also part of the Brazil squad for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

While he’s shown flashes of tremendous potential, not everyone is convinced when it comes to the youngster, including football journalist Rafael Hernandez:

For any young player, breaking into the Real team will be tough, with the attacking trio of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema having already been bolstered by the return of Alvaro Morata this summer. So a temporary move back to Palmeiras would make a lot of sense for Jesus, who still has a lot of refining to do in his game if he’s to force his way into an elite outfit.

Dimitri Payet Latest

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Real Madrid’s chances of signing Dimitri Payet seemed to be over when the West Ham United playmaker reportedly stated he was “100 per cent staying” at the club in an interview with the Sun's Justin Allen. However, the player's agent, Jacques-Olivier Auguste, has rubbished the quotes.

“I’m surprised by this information considering Dimitri hasn’t given an interview to the Sun nor to any other media,” Auguste told Daily Mercato (h/t Tom Coast of Sport Witness). “... These claims are just pure invention from the mind of a journalist. This clarification was needed.”

As Coast noted, Real, Juventus and Barcelona have all been linked with a move for the player, who shone for the Hammers in his debut term with the club. Per Squawka Football, the 29-year-old was one of the most creative players in Europe in 2015-16:

In addition to his brilliant efforts at club level, Payet excelled for France at the UEFA European Championship this summer. Real have a habit of signing players on the back of major tournament success, as the previous captures of James Rodriguez, Mesut Ozil and Fabio Cannavaro illustrate.

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Payet would tick a lot of boxes at the Santiago Bernabeu, as he’s an attacking player with a penchant for the spectacular and is always seeking to be positive with the ball at his feet. However, West Ham would not sell their talisman cheaply, and given his age, Real likely wouldn't want to spend big money on the Frenchman.