Real Madrid Transfer News: Latest on Moussa Sissoko and James Rodriguez Rumours

Real Madrid are set to miss out on Newcastle United midfielder Moussa Sissoko, with Inter Milan said to be close to landing the Frenchman.

According to France Football (h/t Football Italia) a €35 million (£30.2 million) deal is nearing completion between the Serie A side and the Championship outfit. It’s suggested that with Real and Juventus also interested in the player, Newcastle are seeking to recoup €40 million (£34.5 million) for the midfielder.

Mark Douglas of the Chronicle had previously reported that Real were keen on the Newcastle man and were willing to offer two young players to the Magpies to sweeten the deal. However, Sissoko seems to be edging towards Inter, who are said to have been frustrated in their pursuit of Sporting Lisbon’s Joao Mario.

James Baylis - AMA/Getty Images

Sissoko turned in some excellent performances for France in the summer, showcasing great dribbling ability, power and work rate. They’re traits that’d see him fit in well under Zinedine Zidane at the Santiago Bernabeu should the transfer come to fruition.

At the UEFA European Championship, the 27-year-old showed a willingness to commit opposition defenders, as we can see courtesy of OptaJoe:

The displays at the tournament were at odds with the standard Sissoko set for much of the season at Newcastle, though. He was inconsistent, laboured and often disinterested as the Magpies were consigned to relegation. That’d be a big concern for any side looking to spend big money to get him on board.

A move to Real wouldn’t necessarily be the best career decision for the player, either. With so much quality at Zidane’s disposal, he’d surely be pushed to the periphery of the squad and find minutes tough to come by. With Inter seeking to rebuild under new boss Frank de Boer, he’d be a much more significant member of the squad in Milan.

Zidane Comments on James Rodriguez

Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images

According to Zidane, James Rodriguez is content with life at Real Madrid, despite speculation linking him with a move away from the club.

“He is well and happy,” the Frenchman said of the Los Blancos No. 10 after their 3-0 win over Real Sociedad on Sunday, per J.L Calderon of Marca. “He worked and helped us to gain the three points.” AS (h/t the Mirror) have also reported the former AS Monaco man appears set to remain at the Bernabeu for the upcoming season.

Rodriguez found himself on the bench for Sunday's La Liga opener, with reports emerging the same day that Chelsea were to bid £60 million for the Colombia international, per Neil Fissler of the Sunday Express.

Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images

That Rodriguez was unable to force his way into the starting XI against Sociedad with Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema both absent doesn’t bode well for his chances this term. Sports journalist Liam Canning feels it may be time for the player to move on:

A player of Rodriguez’s talent should not be sitting on the bench. At his best, the 25-year-old is a game-changer capable of threading decisive passes to team-mates or scoring spectacular goals from nothing. There aren’t many outfits in Europe with squads good enough to leave him out of the XI.

In a team that’s built around Rodriguez, he would make a huge difference. Zidane, at this juncture, doesn’t look set to allow him that luxury, and if Madrid were to receive a sizeable offer, surely it’d be in the best interest of all parties for the player to depart.