Real Madrid Transfer News: Moussa Sissoko Exit Request Wanted, Latest Rumours

Real Madrid are reportedly waiting on Newcastle United midfielder Moussa Sissoko to agitate for a move away from the club before negotiations over a transfer begin.

According to AS (h/t Football Espana), the player is the most likely midfield acquisition for Los Blancos, with neither Chelsea's Nemanja Matic nor Paris Saint-Germain star Marco Verratti set to join.

Per Football Espana, "reports in England claim a Madrid offer will come for Sissoko by the end of the week, but Madrid would like Sissoko to formally ask to leave the Magpies before making an approach."

Mark Douglas of the Chronicle has reported Real want to offer Marcos Llorente and Mariano Diaz to Newcastle in a bid to help drive down the price of the deal, although it's unclear whether they'd be permanent or loan switches.

Sissoko starred for France at the UEFA European Championship this summer, turning in some star performances as the hosts made their way to the final. At his best, he's a player who can convert defence into attack quickly, bustle past opponents and pose major problems in the final third.

However, on the domestic front, the former Toulouse man is a player who has shown massive fluctuations in form. Indeed, commentator John Bradley is unsure whether he'd be good enough to force his way into the Real starting XI for big games:

Perhaps manager Zinedine Zidane feels as though he's got the capabilities to make Sissoko a much more reliable performer. After all, the Newcastle man possesses all the tools to be an elite midfielder at an illustrious club.

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Alongside better players in the France squad, he showcased a tremendous work rate and was happy to do a job for the team. At Newcastle, where there is an onus on him to create and lead, the same application has rarely been seen; the Real boss would demand that of him.

If the qualities can be channelled in the right way, Sissoko could be a major asset, as these numbers from WhoScored.com show:

The player himself would surely be desperate to don the all-white jersey and would back himself to make a big impression at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. But at the age of 26, it's important he's playing regular football and doing his utmost to add consistency to his game. That's not something he'll be afforded at Real.

Marco Asensio Dilemma

According to Pablo Polo of Marca (translated by Sarah Farrell), Real Madrid are undecided whether or not to send Marco Asensio on loan for the upcoming campaign following his impressive pre-season displays.

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"Despite his great form in the 3-2 win over Chelsea in the International Champions Cup, it will be difficult for the playmaker to find a place in the starting lineup, even though the coach loves his style," noted Polo, who also added that the midfielder will become part of the first-team setup in 2017-18.

The piece reported that if Real were hit with an embargo from FIFA due to possible pending sanctions over the signing of young players, they would not be able to recall players who are out on a temporary deal.

These are the qualities Asensio could offer:

Asensio starred for Espanyol during a season on loan, and the benefits of his move away have been witnessed in pre-season. These numbers from OptaJose sum up how impressive the 20-year-old was last term:

Ideally, despite his raw talents and superb displays recently, Real would want to see Asensio on loan again.

With Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo, James Rodriguez, Isco, Lucas Vazquez and Jese Rodriguez, Zidane has plenty of options to choose from in the attacking-midfield spots, meaning the youngster would spend a lot of time on the sidelines.

It would be a shame if a potential transfer ban from FIFA forced him to the periphery of Zidane's squad instead of at the fulcrum of another side for the upcoming term. The latter scenario would expedite his rise to the summit of the game.