Real Madrid Transfer News and Rumours Tracker: Week of January 19
Real Madrid's victory away to Getafe on Sunday assured them of ending the first half of the season atop La Liga. However, despite their strong current position, rumours regarding possible incomings and outgoings—either in January or at the end of the season—continue to emerge.
The following slides will keep you up to date with any news and rumours surrounding the team's transfer activity this week.
Done Deals
In: Martin Odegaard (Stromsgodset), Marco Asensio (Mallorca), Javier Hernandez (Manchester United, loan), Toni Kroos (Bayern Munich), James Rodriguez (Monaco) and Keylor Navas (Levante).
Out: Xabi Alonso (Bayern Munich), Angel Di Maria (Manchester United), Alvaro Morata (Juventus), Jesus Fernandez (Levante), Casemiro (Porto, loan) and Diego Lopez (AC Milan).
Last updated: Friday, January 23
Hachim Mastour
1 of 7
Friday, January 23
Diego Soto of Marca reports that Real Madrid are interested in signing AC Milan youngster Hachim Mastour.
The club have put in place a plan to snap up some of world football's most promising young talents and Mastour could be the next in line following the signings of Martin Odegaard, Mink Peeters and Marco Asensio.
Milan resisted interest from Barcelona last year, but Soto suggests that Madrid are likely to test their defiance with an imminent offer for the 16-year-old.
Lucas Silva
2 of 7
Friday, January 23
Carlos Carpio of Marca reports that Real Madrid have reached an agreement for the transfer of midfielder Lucas Silva from Cruzeiro.
He cites a report in the Brazilian sports paper Placar that quotes the fee at €14 million, to be paid in two instalments. Madrid have previously offered €10 million plus €2 million in potential add-ons, and while Cruzeiro were keen to hold out for €15 million, they have now agreed to knock €1 million off the price.
Carpio reveals that the 21-year-old will undergo a medical in Madrid on Monday prior to signing a six and a half year deal at the Bernabeu.
Thursday, January 22
Carlos Carpio of Marca reports that Real Madrid are closing in on the signing of Cruzeiro midfielder Lucas Silva.
With Asier Illarramendi seemingly set to join Athletic Bilbao, Madrid have moved quickly to secure a replacement by reigniting their interest in Silva.
His agent, Luis Rocha, met with Cruzeiro officials on Wednesday to thrash out the details of the transfer, with the player's father later confirming to Superesportes that talks had progressed well.
Carpio reports that the 21-year-old will sign a contract through to 2021 and could be presented as a Madrid player next week if negotiations continue at their current pace.
Martin Odegaard
3 of 7
Thursday, January 23
Martin Odegaard was presented as a Real Madrid player after successfully completing his medical at the club on Thursday morning.
Emilio Butragueno led the proceedings and was effusive in his praise of Madrid's latest capture.
"It's an honour to welcome Odegaard. He is a player with extraordinary talent and we have high hopes for him. We're going to do everything we can to ensure both you and your family are very happy in Madrid and that you can develop the fabulous talent you have as a player. You have many successes ahead of you and I wish you the best for the chapter in your life that you are starting today.
"
For his part, Odegaard was clearly delighted to have signed for Madrid, and outlined his reasons for choosing them ahead of his other potential suitors.
"It's an honour and a dream come true. The reason I chose Real Madrid is because this team has the best conditions, both in sporting terms to develop as a player, and off the field to develop as a person. It's the best option for me. For me it's incredible I'm ready for a team like this one.
"
The 16-year-old asserted that he is content to turn out for Madrid's B team, Castilla, until Carlo Ancelotti thinks he is ready for first-team action, and described himself as "a player who likes to have the ball, to combine and to keep it."
Wednesday, January 22
Real Madrid released an official statement on Wednesday evening confirming that they had reached an agreement over the transfer of Martin Odegaard from Stromsgodset.
He will undergo a medical exam on Thursday morning and will then be presented to the press by the club's director of institutional relations, Emilio Butragueno, at 1:30pm CET.
The statement did not provide details of the transfer fee but Spanish media (h/t The Guardian) reported that Madrid had agreed to pay an initial €3 million to secure the services of the 16-year-old.
Monday, January 19
Norwegian newspaper Drammens Tidende (h/t The Guardian) have reported that Martin Odegaard has decided to join Real Madrid and that negotiations with current employers Stromsgodset have now begun.
The Guardian quote the following details from the article:
"Martin and his father, Hans Erik Ødegaard, will move to Madrid straight away and they have a villa there waiting for them. Hans Erik has been offered a job at Real and the 16-year-old is set to play games for the B team until the summer - unless he shows that he is so good that he can be involved in the first team squad on match days.
"
David De Gea
4 of 7
Wednesday, January 21
Jose Felix Diaz of Marca reports that there is no truth to recent reports linking Manchester United with a part-exchange deal for Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale—a deal that would have seen United goalkeeper David De Gea moving the other way.
Diaz confirms that Madrid are interested in De Gea, and have been tracking his progress at Old Trafford, but says that they feel no imperative to get a transfer done at the present time. The club are said to be happy with the form of Iker Casillas so far this season, while they also have an able deputy in Keylor Navas.
Diaz also states that they would have no interest in allowing Bale to leave as part of any potential deal for De Gea.
Asier Illarramendi
5 of 7
Wednesday, January 21
Pablo Polo of Marca reports that Athletic Bilbao have made an offer in the region of €20-25 million for Real Madrid midfielder Asier Illarramendi.
Athletic president Jose Urrutia has already spoken with his Madrid counterpart Florentino Perez, and Polo suggests that the deal has a good chance of going through if Perez can secure a replacement for Illarramendi before the end of the transfer window.
Lucas Silva of Cruzeiro would be the most likely new recruit in that instance.
Across town at AS, Nika Cuenca reports that both Athletic and Italian club Internazionale have made enquiries about Illarramendi.
Cuenca is more sceptical than Polo about the chances of a deal being done in January, largely because Carlo Ancelotti is said to be wary of disrupting the balance of the squad in the middle of the season.
He also notes that Madrid will be better placed to do a deal in the summer, when Casemiro will return from his impressive loan spell at FC Porto to take Illarramendi's place in the first-team squad.
Paul Pogba
6 of 7
Tuesday, January 20
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has denied that the club are actively seeking to purchase Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba.
"Paul Pogba is a great footballer and he can play anywhere, but we are not interested at the moment," he confirmed at his induction into the Italian Football Hall of Fame on Monday, as per AS.
Meanwhile, Juventus managing director Giuseppe Marotta has stated that the club will do everything in their power to ensure that Pogba stays in Turin.
"There's talk of of €100-200 million, but we'll try to do everything that we can to make Pogba stay," he said, as per Marca. "We won't entertain negotiations."
Sami Khedira
7 of 7
Monday, January 19
Spanish radio network Cadena Cope (h/t @SocialRMadrid) have reported that Sami Khedira is still to confirm to Real Madrid whether or not he intends to stay at the club beyond the end of the season.
Khedira's contract expires in June, and he is free to discuss a pre-contract agreement with interested parties.
Meanwhile, El Confidencial (h/t James Dickenson of the Daily Express) report that Madrid would be willing to allow Khedira to join Borussia Dortmund in January as part of a deal that would see forward Marco Reus move to the Bernabeu at the end of the campaign.
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