Real Madrid Transfer News: Latest Rumours on Neymar and Isco

Real Madrid were reportedly among a number of top European clubs that made Barcelona superstar Neymar their top summer target before the Brazilian snubbed them to pen a new deal with the Blaugrana.

According to Mundo Deportivo (via MailOnline's Phil Costa), along with Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United and Manchester City, Real were prepared to meet Neymar's €190 million (£170 million) release clause in an attempt to prise him away from the Camp Nou.

Costa added that Los Blancos were prepared to offer the 24-year-old a bonus of €72 million to sign for them—€32 million up front and the rest spread over the course of his contract—while also offering to "give the player's father whatever he wanted."

Season	Appearances (as a sub)	Minutes	Goals	Assists
2016-17	5	450	4	1
2015-16	34	3057	24	12
2014-15	29(4)	2573	22	7
2013-14	19(7)	1742	9	8

However, the former Santos man penned a new five-year deal with Barca, and his buyout clause will rise to £210 million for the last three years of that agreement, per Paul Vinnell of Sky Sports.

It is little surprise both that Real went after Neymar and were subsequently turned down.

The Madrid giants pursued the Brazil international before he joined Barca back in 2013, and he has since proved he was worthy of the hype having become one of the most effective forwards in world football.

Real's undisputed talisman for the last seven years has been Cristiano Ronaldo, but the Portuguese star is nearing his 32nd birthday and potentially on the decline, per writer Graham Ruthven:

Neymar would be the ideal player to succeed Ronaldo on the left side of Real's attack, with the 27-year-old Gareth Bale on the opposite flank.

However, the Brazilian is part of arguably the greatest front three in football history alongside Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi.

He has won two Primera Division titles and a UEFA Champions League during his three full seasons at the club and could likely have no better prospects anywhere away from Barcelona. 

Should Neymar have swapped the Camp Nou for the Santiago Bernabeu, he would also have become a pariah among the Catalan giants' fans, a factor likely to have been key in stopping him moving to Madrid.

Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images

Elsewhere, Los Blancos manager Zinedine Zidane is reportedly willing to let Isco leave in January, with Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur both said to be interested in the Spaniard.

Per Neil Fissler of the Sunday Express (via Alex Harris in the Daily Star), United boss Jose Mourinho has "earmarked Isco as a long-term replacement for Wayne Rooney," with the 24-year-old continuing to be granted only a limited role at Real.

He moved to Madrid from Malaga for £23 million in 2013 but has never succeeded in earning a consistent first-team spot and has started just once in La Liga in 2016-17, per WhoScored.com.

Per Squawka, the Spain international has previously hinted his future could lie away from the Bernabeu:

And with Zidane reportedly considering him surplus to requirements, Isco may be entering his last few months as a Real player.