Deadline Day: Aubameyang signs for Barcelona

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has signed a six-month deal with Barcelona on the January transfer window deadline day, with the official announcement to be made later.

In one of the most followed transfers of the window, the Arsenal outcast Aubameyang was “just allowed to leave” the club according to transfer insider Fabrizio Romano and begin talks with Barcelona for a move to the Camp Nou.

Earlier talks between Barcelona and Arsenal failed to materialise into something good as Arsenal were unwilling to handle any part of the Gabon international’s £350,000 per week salary. At the time of this breakdown, Aubameyang was already in Spain reportedly preparing for a medical.

The talks picked back up again, but this time, Arsenal allowed the striker’s representative to take over the talks, as they were happy to part ways with the striker who they had frozen out of the team for the past two months.

Aubameyang – who had 18 months left on his Arsenal contract – now joins the Catalans who have been in the market for a striker for most of the January transfer window for a much lower fee than his £350,000 per week at Arsenal wages.

Although the deal is an initial six-month deal, there is an option for a one-year extension which Barcelona will consider at the end of the season.

Arsenal will be saving an estimated £25 million in wages with Aubameyang’s departure, but his exit means Mikel Arteta’s side will have only two strikers in the misfiring Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah to finish the season with. Both strikers are also out of a contract in the summer and both have reportedly decided against continuing at the Emirates.

Arsenal believe Aubameyang to Barcelona deal to be good according to reports

Reports from within the North London club have come out to claim that the club believes Aubameyang’s exit to be a good deal for the club, despite not receiving any form of compensation from Barcelona.

The reason behind the statement is the £25 million in savings which the Gunners will be making as they take Aubameyang of their wage roster.

The 32-year-old former Borussia Dortmund man Aubameyang has not featured for Arsenal since December after being ostracised following a reported disciplinary issue. Sky Sports analyst Adam Bate also believes that the move will benefit all parties.

“The drop in performance levels has been so great that it is probably worth reminding people that Aubameyang was a world-class striker for much of his time at Arsenal,” Bates said.

“Indeed, from the day of his debut for the club in February 2018 until the day of his double against Everton in February 2020, no player scored more Premier League goals. He scored 49 times in that period, the same as Mohamed Salah and a dozen more than Harry Kane.

“But almost as soon as his new contract was signed that September, there has been a sense of decline, of a player whose best days are behind him.

“At 32, there will be hope that Aubameyang could yet recapture his best form, inspired by new surroundings and the challenge of restoring Barcelona to their former glories. At Arsenal, any regret will be tempered by the feeling that it is time for the club to move on.”

Real Madrid news: Los Blancos identify new young talent; Bale asked to leave Madrid

Ahead of the close of the January transfer window, here are some of the headlines coming out of the Santiago Bernabeu.

Real Madrid given go-ahead by club to sign young talent

Madrid have identified their next Brazilian prodigy and have been given the go ahead to discuss terms with the player. Palmeiras’ Endrick Felipe is only 15 years old but has impressed Real Madrid.

Marca reports that Palmeiras are going to help Madrid do the groundwork with Endrick’s family to find out if they can allow their ward to leave Brazil at such a young age. As soon as this is done, Madrid will be free to enter negotiations with the kid.

Barcelona is also reportedly interested in the player and are prepared to enter a bidding war for his signature. However, FIFA rules prevent either of the clubs from taking him away from Brazil at that age.

Gareth Bale urged to leave Madrid

Gareth Bale has had a bad time at Madrid in the past few years and his family and friends back in Wales have had enough as they send messages to the 33-year-old to leave Real Madrid.

Bale will no doubt be leaving Real Madrid at the end of the season but it is priming up to be a long six months for the Welshman at the Santiago Bernabeu. The former Tottenham Hotspur man is Britain’s most accomplished player but his career appears to have come to a screeching halt, with a few jump-starts here and there.

His family and friends have now sent messages to him from Wales, asking that he leaves the club on his own terms in order to keep his legacy intact. They do not want him to leave Madrid silently, believing that a player of his caliber and with his accomplishments deserves to go out with a bang.

Sergio Ramos suffers injury ahead of PSG-Madrid clash

A reunion with Santiago Bernabeu fans looks unlikely for former Madrid captain Sergio Ramos, as he has suffered a muscle injury in training.

Ramos joined PSG after 16 years in Madrid where he spent 10 years as captain. Fitness issues have kept him from featuring regularly for the Parisiens, but he had begun to find his way into the team, even scoring a goal in his latest outing with the team.

Le Parisien now reports that Ramos has suffered another muscular injury that made him leave training early. The extent of the damage is unknown, but his likely return date has been set for sometime in February.

This means he could miss the first leg of the tie, which he has admitted that he looks forward to.

Barcelona target Adama Traore as Ousmane Dembele replacement

ESPN reports that Barcelona has identified Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Adama Traore as a replacement for the embattled Ousmane Dembele.

The news outlet goes on to report that the club will go after Traore if Dembele does not sign a new contract at the club.

Dembele and Barcelona have been embroiled in a transfer battle leading to the club, through its technical director Mateu Alemany to announce to the world that Dembele has been given an ultimatum to leave the club by the end of the transfer window or face ostracism.

This elicited a response from the Frenchman via his Instagram page. Dembele, who has never been a big social media person posted a lengthy message where he claimed he was being blackmailed by several characters concerning his Barcelona future, and assured followers that his agent is on the case.

The 24-year-old’s agent, Moussa Sissoko, has since reinitiated discussions with Barcelona but there seems to have been no progress with the ultimatum deadline drawing near.

ESPN now claims that Barcelona is lining up former La Masia talent Traore as the Frenchman’s replacement should the ultimatum elapse. Traore is a target of Tottenham Hotspur who have reportedly tabled a bid before Wolves – that is being considered – to take the Spanish international from Molineux to the Tottenham Hotspur stadium.

Barcelona January window dependent on Dembele situation

Barcelona is in a financial crisis and have to reduce their wage cao in order to secure much needed funds to run the club. However, Dembele holds the key to a successful January window for the club.

The club plans to take the money for Dembele and inject it back into their window if he chooses to leave, or to spread out the remaining amortisation payments on his transfer fee from Borussia Dortmund and backload his salary to make room on their wage bill.

Manager Xavi Hernandez asked for reinforcements in attack following another unfortunate injury to Ansu Fati, which also led to the club identifying Traore as a possible replacement.

The former Aston Villa forward has 18 months left on his contract and Wolves are ready to cash in on the player who reportedly is looking for an exit from the club.

Xavi to Sissoko: Dembele won’t play if he stays

A move away from the Camp Nou may benefit Dembele, however, as Spanish outlet Marca reports that Xavi is all but done with the player.

The meeting between Dembele’s agent Sissoko and the club on Tuesday, January 25 reportedly ended in Xavi telling the 24-year-old’s agent to look for an exit for his client if they cannot accept the club’s demands.

Dembele and his agent are demanding a big payout on the new contract Barcelona are offering and the Catalan club is unwilling to renege on their already existing offer to the Frenchman. Xavi told Sissoko, according to Marca, that the club would prefer Dembele extends his stay at the Camp Nou and if the offer doesn’t work for the Frenchman, then his time at Barcelona is up.

With Sissoko still pushing for a big payout for his client, an exit may eventually be on the cards for Dembele as the club begins to plan for life without their second most expensive signing.

Barcelona transfer update: Catalans want Meunier; Mingueza transfer deal reached with French club

It has been a busy period for Barcelona who have been making moves to get out of the financial rut caused by the past leadership of the club.

The Catalan giants have reportedly signed the biggest shirt sponsorship deal in football history and are also trying to sell a number of their players as they seek to free up their wage bill and raise the money needed to sign Erling Haaland.

There are some untouchables within the club despite the interest from a number of clubs. As for those on the club’s transfer list, here are two of the latest stories concerning transfer happenings at the club. to come out of Barcelona.

Barcelona looking to sea Dest with Borussia Dortmund’s Meunier

Barcelona have reportedly approached Borussia Dortmund for their 30-year-old right back, Thomas Meunier, in a deal that could see Sergiño Dest move to the Westfalenstadion.

Dest started the season under Ronald Koeman superbly as one of the best creators in the La Liga. However, since the Dutchman’s sack and the appointment of Xavi, opportunities have been few and in between for the American, who has also had to battle fitness issues and COVID.

Barcelona is now looking to offload him with veteran right back Dani Alves back at the Camp Nou as well as for cash flow reasons. Chelsea and Bayern Munich were interested in the right back, but both clubs have cooled their interest. Journalist Gerard Romero now reports that Barcelona have approached Dortmund to swap Dest for Meunier.

Meunier joined BVB in the summer of the 2020/21 season and struggled to fit into the club. This season, however, he has found his footing and is now an important player for the Germans. His numbers are similar to Dest’s this season, but his age could come into play for the Germans who pride themselves in fielding young talents as they consider Barcelona’s offer for a swap deal for Dest.

Barcelona look to bring in around €30 million for Dest, who is not ready to call it quits on Camp Nou.

Barcelona accept bid from French club for Oscar Mingueza 

Oscar Mingueza broke into the Barcelona team under Koeman but has failed to secure a spot in the squad since Xavi’s appointment. Now on the fringes of the club, Barcelona is looking to cash out on their La Masia talent.

Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo reports that Barcelona have reached an agreement with the Ligue 1 side, Bordeaux, for the transfer of Mingueza. Mingueza, however, is not interested in moving to France and has refused to accept the move.

The club also has offers for Mingueza from Germany and other LaLiga clubs which seem more likely for the player, who Barcelona hope to loan out instead of outrightly sell.

The club will take any permanent transfer offers for the 22-year-old if the price is right, however.

Anthony Martial to leave Manchester United for Sevilla on loan

Sevilla have finally succeeded in snapping up Anthony Martial on loan from Manchester United.

After initially blocking the Frenchman’s move to Sevilla earlier in the January transfer window, Manchester United have now come to an agreement with the Andalusian club that will see Anthony Martial move to Spain for the rest of the 2021/22 season.

The Frenchman had made his decision on his United future clear as early as December and Sevilla were the first club to make contact. However, the unwillingness of the Spanish side to take on the 26-year-old’s full wages led to the move being blocked and Martial suffering a little more in the background at Old Trafford.

In that time, an unlikely report about a swap deal with Barcelona for Ousmane Dembele started making the rounds as well as news about a few other clubs inquiring about the former AS Monaco striker. Martial now has his move completed, as he seeks more playing time ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar this December.

Martial will now join the LaLiga side – who will pay his wages in full in exchange for paying no loan fee to United – until the end of the season.

Martial will fly to Seville from Paris on Tuesday to undergo a medical at Sevilla, with a view of making his LaLiga debut after the international break.

Ronaldo’s arrival the final nail in Martial’s United career coffin

Martial became the world’s most expensive teenager when he joined United from AS Monaco in 2015. He had a blistering start to life at Old Trafford, making the Ballon d’Or clause inserted in his contract look like a stroke of genius from his former club.

The Frenchman has since slowed down astronomically due to injuries, problems with staff, and coaches preferring other players in his position. Now Martial, who has 79 goals in 269 total appearances for the club to date, has completely fallen out of favour.

This is due to the signings of Jadon Sancho, Cristiano Ronaldo and Edinson Cavani, as well as the emergence of Mason Greenwood last season. Martial has started just four games for United this season.

European football expert Tom Williams spoke to Sky Sports Transfer Talk podcast about why Martial has been unable to hold down a first-team place at Old Trafford. He opines that Ronaldo’s signing affected his United chances the most.

“There are various reasons for him not having hit the heights that United would have hoped. There’s been a lot of instability since he came to the club. He’s played under four different managers, not all of whom have been his biggest fans – you think notoriously of Jose Mourinho.

“There’s obviously competition for places at United. I think one of the things that perhaps gets overlooked a bit is how unfortunate Marcus Rashford’s emergence has been for Martial, because they’re such similar players. But also you’ve got Mason Greenwood, you’ve got (Edinson) Cavani and now Cristiano Ronaldo.

“He obviously needs to move. Ronaldo arriving was probably the death knell for his United career as the first-choice centre-forward. You suspect that, for both parties, the best thing is for him to move on.”

Ter Stegen and Donnarumma swap deal being touted by Barcelona to PSG

Spanish transfer website Fichajes.net have reported that Barcelona are interested in Paris Saint-Germain shotstopper Gianluigi Donnarumma and are ready to offer Marc-Andre Ter Stegen in exchange.

The website reports that Donnarumma is one of the Catalan club’s key summer transfer targets but the club’s hierarchy consider the financial implications of his signing to be too much to bear, hence the proposal of a swap with Ter Stegen.

Ter Stegen has been with Barcelona since 2014 and has won major honours with the club. He was once regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the world in his time at Barcelona but since his battle with injuries began in 2018, he has failed to replicate the performances that saw him get those accolades.

Barcelona have stuck with him, however, even to the detriment of other great goalkeeping prospects. However, with the German approaching 30 years of age, it seems like the Catalan club is ready to move on from him.

Donnarumma, regarded currently as one of the best goalkeepers in the world, is the Blaugrana’s choice. The 22-year-old has amassed almost a decade of goalkeeping experience at the highest level despite being only 22 years. Now with PSG, his incredibly fast-paced career trajectory seems to have slowed down and the Italian is unhappy with the situation.

He is in a rotation mix with PSG’s other shotstopper, former Real Madrid man Keylor Navas. The Italian international has started about half the games played by PSG this season while Navas has started the other half. Both have been impressive in between the sticks for the Parisiens, making it difficult to pick a starting goalkeeper between the two.

Donnarumma, who has kept six clean sheets in 13 matches across all competitions for PSG wants the spot and his unhappiness at the rotation has caught Barcelona’s attention. The Catalan giants are happy to make him their number 1 starting next season.

Fichajes also reports that Donnarumma is keen on the move to Spain. Laporta’s good relationship with Donnarumma’s agent, Mino Raiola, could also come good for the club to help seal a deal in the summer.

Ter Stegen’s stance on the move, as well as PSG’s, remain unclear, however.

Ajax left-back Tagliafico keen on Barcelona move

Argentina and Ajax Amsterdam left-back Nicolas Tagliafico could be Barcelona’s next defensive reinforcement as the 29-year-old is reportedly keen on joining up with the Catalan club in the January window.

Barcelona only have youngster Alejandro Balde as Jordi Alba’s left-back alternative. The veteran left-back has now become prone to injuries and his performances have dipped, and the inexperience of his understudy Balde has forced the club to sometimes turn to right-back Sergiño Dest and utility centre back Oscar Mingueza to fill in the position.

Tagliafico fits the bill the Catalans have for the role and reports from Spain claim they are willing to get a deal done for his signature.

Transfer insider Fabrizio Romano has said that the Copa America winner is doing all he can to make the move happen, even asking Ajax to let him leave on an initial loan deal.

However, Ajax only want to sell and Barcelona cannot afford anything but a loan deal, making the possibility of a January move less likely.

Real Madrid and Barcelona agree pact to not interfere with player contracts

Marca reports that Real Madrid and Barcelona have come to an agreement to keep each other’s hands away from the other’s players, especially when they are discussing contract renewals.

Madrid and Barcelona both represent the biggest footballing rivalry in Spain and in world club football. They compete in almost every aspect both on and off the pitch and sometimes, the competition has not been friendly.

From trying to and succeeding in poaching each other’s players, to sabotaging potential transfers, or signing deals with competitor brands, both clubs have done everything to keep the fires of their age long rivalry burning. Both clubs have even been rumoured to have influenced awards in favour of their teams and their players.

They, however, maintain a mutual respect for each other and have also come together to effect change in Spanish football and to call for changes in UEFA’s day to day running of football. The current presidents of both clubs, Joan Laporta of Barcelona and Florentino Perez of Real Madrid especially have a deep respect for each other.

Both presidents are very much aware that decisions made by their clubs could affect the other and in order to keep their status as two of the world’s biggest footballing institutions, are always in talks with each other.

These talks between Laporta and Perez have led to the more recent European Super League which, despite the kickback from clubs, fans, pundits, UEFA and FIFA, they continue to discuss. Both clubs are also currently at the forefront of a management battle with LaLiga’s bosses as concerns the running of the league.

Their latest talks, according to Marca, have now seen both clubs come to an agreement to respect the contracts of each other’s players.

Agreement only about current Barcelona and Madrid players, reports say

Laporta and Perez have a gentleman’s agreement on the issue and both clubs now understand that. Rumours claim that Madrid’s reported pursuit of Ronald Araujo, who Barcelona are trying to get to put pen-to-paper on a new contract, led to the talks being held.

However, both clubs are free to go after each other’s former players or players who did not sign extensions and let their old contracts run out. The talks between both presidents also didn’t cover going after the same players in a transfer window, which is one of the ways both clubs exert dominance over the other in order to boost their rivalry.

There has been a verbal agreement Perez and Laporta to not interfere with players on the other side who are still under contract. Players who are out of contract are another story, of course, and are fair game if one of the pair decides to pursue them.

Both clubs have almost always been interested in the same players, and the current player of interest between both clubs is Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland. Barca president Laporta is reported to be willing to do anything to sign Haaland and both clubs are also willing to do everything to prevent the other from joining their rivals even if it means Haaland choosing another of his suitors.

Benzema suffers injury in draw with Elche; had home attacked during the game

Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema left the club’s LaLiga match against Elche in the 58th minute with a discomfort and will miss the Copa del Rey’s quarter final match against Athletic Club Bilbao as a result.

News outlet ABC has reported it as a hamstring injury which should take less time to heal, but reports also that the striker will do all he can to be ready for the crucial UEFA Champions League round of 16 fixture against Paris Saint-Germain in February.

As a result, Benzema will miss Madrid’s next three matches – the quarter final match against Athletic Club Bilbao and two LaLiga games against Villarreal and Granada.

The injury was not the worst of it for Benzema on Sunday night, as he found out after leaving the pitch in the 58th minute that his home was broken into by burglars.

Spanish outlet 20 minutos reports that the burglars broke into Benzema’s home when it was empty and carted away some of his belongings. This is the second time Benzema’s home has been robbed while he was on duty for Madrid; the first time being in 2019 when he was playing against Barcelona in an El Clasico match.

Confirmed: Raheem Sterling wanted a move to Barcelona

Raheem Sterling was ready to leave the Etihad for Camp Nou this January according to latest reports.

The Manchester City forward struggled to pin a spot down in Pep Guardiola’s team at the beginning of the season, starting only three of City’s first ten games. In that time, different transfer speculations arose, chief of which was a move away from the Premier League for Sterling.

Barcelona was the club mentioned in those rumours, with some reports even claiming that Manchester City and Barcelona held discussions over a possible transfer for Sterling, who the Catalan club have held an interest in for a while.

However, with Sergio Aguero instead moving to the Camp Nou, Gabriel Jesus failing to convince either, and £100 million Jack Grealish struggling to replicate his Aston Villa form, Sterling slowly found his place again in the squad and is now one of the first names on the team sheet again.

But new reports from The Athletic have now revealed that Sterling was indeed ready to leave the Etihad on loan to Barcelona in January, as he sought more playing time ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar this December.

Both clubs held meetings in November over possible loan transfers with Bernardo Silva, Ferran Torres, Aymeric Laporte and Sterling being the reported targets of the Catalans. Barcelona eventually acquired Ferran Torres for a whopping £55 million calling the club’s reported financial struggles into question.

This further strengthened Sterling’s place in the star-studded City squad, where he now leads the club’s Premier League goalscorer charts with seven goals, five of which came in his last eight appearances for the Premier League table-toppers.

Sterling still nursing abroad dreams

Sterling has been able to win Guardiola over again and cemented his place in the team this season, and the sale of Torres to Barcelona has also made his presence in the club very important. However, according to The Athletic, Sterling still has a desire to play abroad.

Sterling also alluded to this in an interview with the Financial Times back in October 2021. “If there was an opportunity to go somewhere else, I’d be open to it at this moment in time,” Sterling said.

“As I said, football is the most important thing to me — challenges that I have set myself from a young age and dreams as well.

“As an English player, all I know is the Premier League. I’ve always known that maybe one day, I would love to play abroad and see how I would come up against that challenge.”

Guardiola admits Barcelona could still sign more City players in the near future

Bernardo Silva and Aymeric Laporte are still on the Catalans’ radar and both players are reportedly open to moving to Spain to play for the club. Guardiola expressed a belief that Barcelona’s pull is beyond Manchester City’s despite the Catalan club’s failures and Manchester City’s successes in recent times.

“If Barcelona are interested in any of our players, I am convinced that they can get them,” Guardiola said.

“Barca continues to be an attractive club, more than attractive. The city, the club, the history and this for the trainers, for the players always seduces a lot.

“If Barcelona interests one of our players, they will set up the machinery into operation, it is a liner.

“Barca can use their media to influence signings. That’s the thing about Barcelona; they can do what they want, good or bad.”

Manchester United identify next manager after Ralf Rangnick

Manchester United have reportedly contacted Inter Milan‘s Simone Inzaghi to take over from Ralf Rangnick after his six-month interim tenure runs out.

The German tactician has cut an unpopular figure while in the dugout at Old Trafford despite the excitement surrounding his appointment to the position. Reports also say that the players are dissatisfied with his method, making him an unpopular figure also in United’s dressing room.

Mirror Sport reports that a source within Carrington claims that the former Red Bull Leipzig manager is seen as “outdated and out of his time” by all at the club, and that Rangnick is “unpopular” and the staff “don’t like him.”

United signed a deal with Rangnick to stable the team for a new manager who will take over at the beginning of the 2023/24 season. The German will then move on to a two-year consultancy role, which is more on brand with what he has evolved into in the past few years.

Among the managers considered to replace the German, Mauricio Pochettino of Paris Saint-Germain and Erik ten Hag of Ajax Amsterdam are the frontrunners for the job. However, Italian outfit, Il Corriere dello Sport, have claimed that United have approached Inter Milan’s Simone Inzaghi for the role as well.

Inter looking to increase Simone’s wages to keep him at San Siro

The 45-year-old Simone Inzaghi will be out of a contract at Inter Milan next season. However, a good deal could help the manager buy out his contract at the Serie A table leaders to move elsewhere and try to replicate his successes with the Nerazurri at the new club.

Inter have been on a resurgence since current Tottenham Hotspur manager, Antonio Conte, set the ball rolling in the 2019/20 season. The Nerazurri narrowly lost out on the Scudetto in that season, but turned it around the following season to break Juventus’ chokehold on Italian top flight football.

The title was their first in 11 years, with their last being a part of a historic treble won under current AS Roma boss, Jose Mourinho.

Inzaghi is keeping that fire burning and has coached the Nerazurri to some fine performances this season, which has seen them lose only once in 20 league games this season while sitting comfortably atop the 2021/22 Serie A table.

Inter have also recently won their first trophy of the season, defeating Juventus earlier this week to claim the Supercoppa Italiana.

The Inter hierarchy are reportedly very impressed with the beginning of his reign; they are rumoured to be keen on renewing his contract soon. The renewal will reportedly come with a salary increase for the former Lazio manager at the end of the current season, to keep interested clubs away as they would not want to lose him the way they lost Conte. 

United to face Atlético for Inzaghi

Inzaghi’s playing style at the San Siro has not only caught the eye of Manchester United, but of a number of top-tier clubs across Europe.

Atlético de Madrid are seeking a long-term replacement for Diego Simeone, who has managed Los Rojiblancos for 11 years. The Argentine could call time on his career as Atlético coach any time soon, and the Spanish Giants see Inzaghi as the perfect replacement for him.

Reports claim that both United and Atlético de Madrid have made informal moves towards securing Inzaghi for their sides, but neither club have made a formal approach to the reigning Serie A champions for their manager.

Inzaghi could be disappointing both clubs, however, as he is also reported to love his job at the San Siro very much which infers the likelihood to extend with Inter Milan.

Luka Modric set to leave Real Madrid with AC Milan man being lined up as replacement

Luka Modric has given an ultimatum to Real Madrid to offer him a better contract or he leaves the Santiago Bernabeu.

The 36-year-old Ballon d’Or winner is in a contract standoff with Real Madrid, led by Florentino Perez. The Croat believes that Madrid is disrespecting him and his service to the club with the latest offer which they have presented to him.

Modric is out of contract at the Spanish club in the summer and wants to renew with Madrid, who also are keen to keep the midfielder, who is still regarded as one of the best in the world even at his age.

However, El Nacional reports that the midfielder wants a two-year contract instead of what the club is currently offering him, which he feels is disrespectful.

Modric is also willing to reduce his salary, per the reports, if he is given the two-year contract he desires, to show his loyalty to the club, where he has stated in the past that he would like to end his career.

Modric joined Madrid from Tottenham in 2013 for around £40 million and has played 411 times for Madrid thus far, scoring 28 times and winning multiple trophies as one of the club’s modern legends.

Manchester City monitoring Modric and Madrid standoff

Manchester City are reportedly weighing up a shock move for Modric, which will depend on the outcome of the contract renewal negotiations between the midfield general and Los Blancos.

Pep Guardiola is said to be ready to welcome the former Spurs man to Manchester City “with open arms” as he seeks to add to his amazing depth in the middle of the park for the Premier League champions.

El Nacional reports that Modric wants to go into the 2022 World Cup in Qatar at the highest level and so wants to remain at Madrid, but City and Guardiola are ready to offer him a reasonable payday as he nears the end of his playing career.

The report also claims that Modric is open to a Premier League return and would not mind moving to the Etihad if it means he will keep playing at the highest level.

Real Madrid identify Modric replacement

Meanwhile, Los Blancos are already preparing for life after Luka Modric as they enter the race to sign Franck Kessie.

The midfielder is currently at the African Cup of Nations with Cote d’Ivoire, chasing a third title for the Elephants, but is the subject of numerous transfer speculations. The 25-year-old will be out of contract with AC Milan in the summer and is not interested in renewing with the Rossoneri after five seasons at the club.

Liverpool, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona have been the clubs interested in Kessie. However, El Nacional now reports that the midfielder has piqued Madrid’s interest as they see him replacing Modric in the squad.

Barcelona looked to be in pole position to sign Kessie but now, Madrid have hijacked that position as they seek to land the powerful box-to-box midfielder to their ranks as they prepare for life after Modric.

Kessie reportedly seeks a lucrative contract and Madrid is up to the task. The midfielder will make a decision after the AfCON tournament.