Real Madrid Transfer Rumors: 12 Big-Name Stars Who Could Be Heading for La Liga

There is perhaps no team that is more routinely linked with the best players in the world than Real Madrid.

Los Blancos are currently leading hated rivals Barcelona by a staggering 10 points in La Liga, and yet many are backing Madrid to overhaul a significant portion of their squad for next season.

Those who perpetuate transfer rumors love to speculate about the world's most successful club, as it is irrational to rule them out of any transfer rumor, no matter how illogical it may seem.

Even though Madrid can hardly get better than they are now, if there are more high-quality players left to buy, Los Merengues will be looking.

Here are 12 men who could be headed for the Santiago Bernabeu to strengthen one of the best sides in the world.

Gareth Bale

Tottenham's flopping wing sensation Gareth Bale is frequently linked to Barcelona, but more recently, Real Madrid have been rumored to be hot on the Welshman's trail.

Even though Bale would cost tens of millions of pounds, if there is one club that can afford it (besides Manchester City) it is Madrid.

And the thought of a wing tandem of Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale is downright scary for the rest of Europe. As a football fan, though, it makes me drool just a little.

Eden Hazard

Eden Hazard has stated that he would prefer to move to England, but there would probably be no better fit for the Belgian wunderkind than the Bernabeu.

Madrid could afford the €50 million price tag that Lille president Michel Seydoux has stated would be necessary to pry Hazard away from France.

And his swift, technical style would fit extremely well in Spain, rather than a more blunt, physical league like Engand.

What better league would there be for a cross between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi than the one in which they both play?

Mario Gotze

Mario Gotze may very well choose to leave the hostile confines of the Westfalenstadion this summer, and one of the most likely destinations for him to end up is the Bernabeu.

Not only could he rejoin teammate Nuri Sahin, national teammates Mesut Ozil and Sami Khedira will be waiting to form a midfield quartet to put Madrid on a level at least approaching that of their legendary Catalan counterparts.

Gotze is another player whose style would fit Spain well, and there are not many good fits for him in other countries. Arsenal would be almost an ideal fit, for example, but there is little hope in North London of Arsene Wenger shelling out the type of cash necessary to acquire the German talent.

Robin van Persie

Unfortunately for Arsenal fans like me, the link between Robin van Persie and Real Madrid has been inextricable this season, and the rumors are likely to continue until the Dutchman's contract situation gets resolved.

Van Persie has not alleviated anxiety around the Emirates Stadium by officially stating that he is putting all discussions of a new contract off until the summer, making Champions League qualification imperative for Arsenal.

If he does not have enough confidence in the ability of the current team to win silverware, he will probably leave anyway. But it will be very hard to resist joining a talent-rich side like Madrid for the last of his prime years if he cannot play at Europe's top level again next season.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Everyone's favorite trophy-hunter (and owner of the most sinister smile in football) Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been the subject of an inquiry by Real Madrid, at least according to his agent.

The ponytailed striker would certainly ruffle a few feathers in Spain if he moved to the arch-rivals of his past club, Barcelona, but then again Ibrahimovic is not one to avoid controversy.

If he transferred to Madrid, though, fans would feel secure in the knowledge that they would be certain to win the La Liga title next year; Ibra has won domestic titles for the past eight consecutive seasons with a variety of different teams.

Yann M'Vila

Yann M'Vila of Rennes has been linked with both Arsenal and Real Madrid for what seems like forever, and the speculation is certainly not stopping now.

The Frenchman is the type of player who would fit in quite well in this Madrid squad. He is a defensive midfielder who has great technical skill and can push forward with versatility in the Patrick Vieira mold.

A young player of his talent would certainly not come cheap, but that is of no import to Real. If the only other club they are competing with for M'Vila's signature is Arsenal, they will have no trouble outbidding Arsene Wenger if they truly want the player.

Javi Martinez

Spain U-21 champion Javi Martinez has seen himself linked with a move to Madrid recently, and he claims that he is not worth his reported €40 million price tag.

The defensive midfielder currently plies his trade for Athletic Bilbao, but would stability and grit to the heart of Real's midfield.

With Martinez holding down the area above the back line, it would allow the team's more creative players to flourish without worrying so much about their defensive duties, thereby giving the attack an unexpected boost.

Borja Valero

Apparently, Real Madrid now realize that they made a mistake when they let Borja Valero leave five years ago to join Mallorca, as they now want to purchase their former youth man in the prime of his career.

Though the buy-out clause in his contract is reportedly €40 million, he would almost certainly be sold for a much lower price after some bargaining is done.

Villarreal are amazingly only three points from the drop zone in La Liga, and the Yellow Submarine's futility is undoubtedly a compelling reason to seek a new club.

Even if the destination is not Madrid, I would definitely expect a player of Valero's skill and stature to seek new pastures if Villarreal get relegated.

Marek Hamsik

According to El Centro Campista and CaughtOffside, Napoli's extremely talented midfielder Marek Hamsik is the subject of considerable interest from Real Madrid.

The Slovakian international is also a reported Liverpool target, but the Spanish capital offers a better chance for success and, most importantly, consistent Champions League football.

Hamsik has been an integral part of a Napoli side that is jam-packed with top-level talent, and his reported £21 million price tag reflects this.

Lord knows Madrid are already overflowing with prodigious midfield talent of all ages, but Los Blancos are certainly not averse to stocking an already stacked position with the best talent in the world.

Nemanja Vidic

In one of the more unlikely storied to emerge recently, it is predictably Tribalfootball and CaughtOffside who speculate that 30-year-old Manchester United captain Nemanja Vidic is on Jose Mourinho's summer "shopping list."

It is both highly unlikely that Manchester United would let go of their captain and that Madrid would spend the money necessary to buy arguably the best central defender in the world prior to his ACL tear.

Their defence is already highly fortified, and they will have to pay a hefty premium to Sir Alex Ferguson to part with a player who he surely does not want to give up, as he transitions between an old and new era of central defenders.

Nicolas Gaitan

Nicolas Gaitan's name has skyrocketed in popularity among speculators recently, as the Benfica winger has been linked with both Manchester clubs.

But another connection to Real Madrid has been established, and Pepe regards the player so highly that he claims that he would sign Gaitan immediately if he were club president.

Gaitan is a tricky 24-year-old winger who has greatly impressed this season for Benfica. He can emulate the sort of success that Angel di Maria had after making the switch to Madrid if he is indeed purchased.

A player of his age and ability will not come on the cheap, but that is obviously never the club's first priority.

Neymar

Thankfully, there have not been any new chapters in the Neymar transfer saga for a while, but many still believe that the Brazilian superstar will be playing for either Real Madrid or Barcelona next season.

Yes, Santos extended his contract until the conclusion of the 2014 World Cup, but few believe that this is anything more than a desperate, symbolic gesture.

The fact is that Neymar's talents are too great for Brazil, and he deserves to be playing under the bright lights of either the Bernabeu of the Camp Nou. And, for months there have been numerous stories indicating that the player will choose the capital over Catalonia.

Presumably, money and fame would trump the fact that Neymar would have to cut his hair at Madrid. I expect this move to happen at some point in the future, and the sooner the better.

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