Real Madrid Transfer News: Latest Rumours on Isco and Vincent Thill

Real Madrid are reportedly still keen to sell Isco to a Premier League club in the summer despite his recent upturn in form.

That’s according to Mundo Deportivo (h/t Dipesh Agarwal of Sport Witness), where it’s been stated that Los Blancos want to find a buyer in England for the midfielder to raise significant funds. 

Tottenham Hotspur are noted as possible suitors for Isco, whose contract at the Santiago Bernabeu is set to run until 2018, as are Real’s bitter rivals Barcelona; it’s noted a move to the Camp Nou is unlikely for the Spain international.

Sky Sports’ Spanish football expert Guillem Balague also recently provided an update on Isco’s status with the European champions:

The diminutive playmaker has never cemented a spot in the starting XI in the Spanish capital since moving from Malaga in 2013. But his Madrid career has not been short of magical moments, as we can see:

What it has been short of is consistency. Isco has stepped up to the plate for Madrid in some massive games in the past, most recently in the 3-0 derby win over Atletico Madrid, where he dazzled in support of hat-trick hero Cristiano Ronaldo. It’s been tough for the 24-year-old to preserve those standards, however.

And given the amount of attacking talent available to Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane, any kind of lapse in levels means another elite player will be given a chance to step in. The coach also spoke after the derby win of how a lot of the time the No. 10 position, Isco’s best, doesn’t exist in his setup, per the Guardian’s Sid Lowe:

Isco is a popular figure among Madrid fans. The midfielder looks so natural with the ball and links play together for Los Blancos. 

With Gareth Bale sidelined and set to be out for a few months, this spell could be the most significant in the player’s Madrid career. Shine, and there could be a future for him at the Bernabeu, but should performances not come, it’d be no surprise to see Isco on the move next summer.

Bayern Munich to Make Move for Vincent Thill in January

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Real Madrid will reportedly face competition from German champions Bayern Munich for Metz starlet Vincent Thill.

According to L’Equipe (h/t AS), the Bundesliga side made a bid of €6 million (£5 million) for the 16-year-old, already a Luxembourg international, in the summer and will delve into the market in January to try to sign him once again.

As relayed by AS, it’s also been stated by Le Quotidien that Zidane has already held discussions with the player’s agent. “Yes, [Thill] is on Real Madrid’s agenda, I can confirm,” the youngster’s representative is quoted as saying. “Zidane has the reports about him on his desk.”

Thill made headlines recently when he became the first player born in the year 2000 or later to score at international level in Europe. The OptaFranz Twitter feed documented the impressive efforts of the youngster in the early stages of his career:

Here’s a look at why the Luxembourg youngster has a clutch of big names admiring his talent:

Moving to a juggernaut of the game at such a young age can be a big risk. After all, Thill wouldn’t be in the reckoning for starts at either Real Madrid or Bayern yet; he’s only made one substitute appearance in Ligue 1 in his senior career.

Los Blancos have targeted youngsters in recent windows, with Martin Odegaard a particularly high-profile acquisition, not to mention the likes of Jesus Vallejo and Marco Asensio in recent seasons. However, with Real potentially under a FIFA transfer embargo, pending an appeal, Bayern could have an edge in pursuit of Thill.