Real Madrid Transfer News: Latest on Lucas Biglia and Mateo Kovacic Rumours

Lucas Biglia's agent has confirmed a January transfer is a possibility for his client amid rumours Real Madrid and Inter Milan are both very interested in the Lazio midfielder.

Speaking to Tuttomercatoweb (h/t Goal's Tom Webber), agent Enzo Montepaone did his very best to drum up interest in Biglia:

"

Biglia is a top player. It is normal that the biggest teams in Europe have made enquiries about him.

There's a big market for him, both in Italy and abroad. There are so many possibilities, Inter is one of them.

We can't say yet [if he will move in January]. Biglia is happy at Lazio, but we must think about what's best for his career.

"

According to the Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Daily Star's Alex Harris), Los Blancos are keeping a keen eye on the situation.

The 29-year-old has blossomed into one of Serie A's top midfielders since joining Lazio from Anderlecht in 2013, having played for the Belgian side for seven years.

His lengthy spell with Anderlecht is one of the main reasons he's perhaps not as well-known as some of his peers, even if he's an integral part of Argentina's national team.

Per OptaPaolo, Biglia showed his versatility last season:

Biglia is a classic playmaker who prefers to operate from a slightly deeper role, dictating play with his passing and working hard to get the ball back when his team loses possession. He's never been a big goalscoring threat, but his high work rate and smart positional play opens up space for other players.

In that way, he's similar to Toni Kroos, who scored just two goals for Real in La Liga last season but was still one of the team's top players, per WhoScored.com.

Here's a look at what he does on the pitch:

Biglia will be 30 years old at the end of this season, and having played in Belgium for so long, it's easy to see why his agent is being so vocal.

Compared to players of similar age and ability, the South American has always played for relatively modest wages, as Anderlecht couldn't offer him what some of the top teams can.

Per Calciomercato (h/t Daily Express' Joe Short), he turned down a contract extension in September, likely because the veteran knows the next deal he signs could be his last chance for a major pay day.

This makes Real Madrid an interesting fit. Los Blancos don't need another playmaking midfielder to start―Kroos and Luka Modric have that role covered―but they could always use some backup, and an experienced warrior like Biglia would be a good fit.

If Los Blancos make him a good offer, you have to assume Biglia wouldn't have too much trouble coming off the bench or playing a smaller role, as long as his financial needs are taken care of.

Other clubs will surely rival Real for his signature, but the eventual wages Biglia receives may prove to be the decisive factor.

Mateo Kovacic Transfer Investigated

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According to Croatian newspaper Jutarnji (h/t Marca), Croatian authorities have opened an investigation into Mateo Kovacic's moves to Inter Milan and Real, as part of an investigation into every Dinamo Zagreb transfer in the last 10 years.

Dinamo president Zdravko Mamic and his son have been arrested for embezzlement, and Croatia's anti-corruption agency (USKOK) is now investigating whether any of these transfers involved the “illegal withdrawal of funds,” per Marca.

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Kovacic joined Inter from Dinamo in 2013 and immediately established himself as one of the best young midfielders in Europe. He struggled during the 2014-15 campaign, however, prompting the Nerazzurri to cash in and spend the money on more established players, like Monaco's Geoffrey Kondogbia.

Recognising his tremendous potential, Real pounced and brought the 21-year-old to Madrid. He has seen limited action so far with Los Blancos, but he has looked very solid when he has played.

Here's a look at why he's considered such a tremendous talent:

The investigation into Kovacic's transfer to Spain is likely to be little more than a formality, as it was a simple transaction between Los Blancos and Inter, and Dinamo had nothing to do with it.

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