Real Madrid Transfer News: Latest on Gareth Bale, Lucas Silva Rumours

Real Madrid threw cold water on the Gareth Bale transfer rumours in the wake of their convincing 3-0 win over Espanyol, with several members of the club telling the media the Wales international has a great connection with the squad and isn't going anywhere.

Fichajes (h/t Metro's Jamie Sanderson) suggested Los Blancos were open to accepting Manchester United's reported £150 million offer for the winger, and several incidents between Bale and star forward Cristiano Ronaldo further fuelled the rumours.

As shared by ESPN FC's Dermot Corrigan, however, Carlo Ancelotti remains adamant the 25-year-old is a "fundamental" player:

Fans turned on Bale after he refused to pass to a wide-open Ronaldo on Saturday, although they quickly changed their tune after the Welshman scored a stunning free-kick.

A similar incident occurred in the loss against Valencia, but centre-back Nacho told reporters they remain fantastic team-mates, via Inside Spanish Football's Tom Conn:

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We cannot question Bale and Cristiano’s dedication to Madrid, and how they are great team mates. All of the players want to score, there is nothing more to it.

We are Real Madrid and we are playing at home with our fans. We need their support, we can win. It wouldn’t be a disaster to lose because we are playing against a strong rival, and if we go through it would be a great moment for us.

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The Times' Oliver Kay doesn't understand why fans or the media would get upset with Bale for shooting too much:

Both Bale and Ronaldo are pure scorers, and two of the best in the world at that. Their particular styles will lead to clashes from time to time, but so far the positive results have more than outweighed the occasional incidents.

The suggestion Real could move Bale to accommodate Marco Reus, who plays the game in the same way, is simply ludicrous. The Welshman remains one of the world's top players, and Los Blancos aren't in the business of selling their biggest stars.

Guillem Balague told Bleacher Report he thinks a move is highly unlikely:

Ancelotti ruled out a January move for Brazilian star Lucas Silva, and Marca (h/t Daily Mirror's Aaron Flanagan) fears their decision to wait until summer could result in Arsenal stealing the 21-year-old from under their nose.

ESPN FC's Dermot Corrigan provided Ancelotti's comments on the highly rated defensive midfielder:

Silva has emerged as the next big Brazilian star at Cruzeiro and appeared to be close to a move to Spain in December, but the rumours have since cooled off significantly.

The player himself recently confirmed Los Blancos approached his current club and that it would be a dream to play for the Champions League holders, via Selecao Brasileira:

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Lucas Silva: "Playing for Madrid'd be a pleasure, but I don't feel frustrated that Cruzeiro refused. I also dream of winning Libertadores."

— Seleção Brasileira (@BrazilStats) January 8, 2015"

Silva wants to play for Real, and a summer move is still an option. Sami Khedira is expected to leave the club as a free agent, opening up room in Los Bancos' crowded midfield.

But the Gunners have a clear need for a holding midfielder and might be willing to pay the transfer fee Cruzeiro are currently holding out for, dashing Real's hopes of landing him at a discount in the summer.

It will be interesting to see how the rest of the January window plays out, and if Cruzeiro indicate the Gunners are indeed willing to meet their asking price, Ancelotti may have to make his move far earlier than expected.

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