Real Madrid Transfer News: January Plans Decided Amid Timo Werner Rumours

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez and club general director Jose Angel Sanchez reportedly agreed to spend money in the January transfer market during a meeting on Monday.

According to Jose Felix Diaz of Marca, after Real's poor start to the 2017-18 campaign, the top brass at the Santiago Bernabeu have decided they will have to enter the fray in the winter transfer window despite realising players may cost more than in the summer.

Diaz added Perez and Sanchez have decided to strengthen their squad in specific areas and could go after Athletic Bilbao goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, while Inter Milan's Mauro Icardi and RB Leipzig's Timo Werner are forward targets—a new centre-back is also being considered. 

Icardi, 24, has been heavily linked with Los Blancos in recent weeks, but Inter sporting director Piero Ausilio has insisted the Madrid club have not been in touch and the Argentinian striker is not for sale anyway, per La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t AS).

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RB Leipzig sporting director Ralf Rangnick also rejected reports linking Werner with a move to Real, per FourFourTwo.

However, a deal to sign Kepa, 23, by meeting his €20 million release clause "is believed to be imminent," according to Carlos Carpio and David G. Medina of Marca.

The Spain international is a hugely talented goalkeeping prospect, but he will not necessarily improve Real in their weakest area. Current Real No. 1 Keylor Navas continues to be reliable.

It is Zinedine Zidane's attackers who have largely let him down this season as Real have dropped eight points behind La Liga leaders Barcelona.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale have netted only six league goals between them this term, while Isco and Marco Asensio have fluctuated in form after fast starts.

A player in Icardi's form—he has already netted 16 times in Serie A this season, per Opta—would be a fantastic addition to Real's squad:

But Real will have to be prepared to offer enormous sums of cash to prise away a player such as Icardi in January, when it is traditionally hard to find value or quality in the transfer market.