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Real Madrid are undoubtedly one of the biggest clubs in the world, which in turn means that they're able to attract some of the biggest stars in football to join them.
In the summer they spent around £145m on players, but this is nowhere near the full amount in their transfer budget; and because they've managed to sell players for a total of £120m, they still find themselves within the financial fair play regulations.
This means that Madrid could still very well splash out a great deal more in the January transfer window on top-tier players, without it affecting their financial status too much.
Los Blancos currently sit 4th in LaLiga, 5 points off the top spot. They know now that their current team simply isn't good enough to win the league outright, which is naturally their objective every season, so they need to invest next month or they could be destined to fall under par.
Madrid are often linked with virtually every high-profile player, but in this list we'll go through their top five transfer targets and determine just how probable each one is.
#5 Thiago (Bayern Munich)
Thiago is a 27-year-old central midfielder who plays for Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga. He has also featured for Spain's national side, having made 34 appearances since his debut in August 2011.
Since he moved to Bayern Munich from Barcelona in the summer of 2013, he has won a plethora of silverware, such as German League (x5), German Cup (x2), UEFA Supercup, German Supercup (x4), and FIFA Club World Cup.
Real Madrid were heavily linked with Thiago in the summer, hoping that he would serve as a replacement to Mateo Kovacic, who had just left for Chelsea. But no deal materialised and so he stayed where he was.
This time around, though, Madrid will certainly be far more eager to get their man, especially if they're serious about winning La Liga this season, because it's already started to slip away from their grasp.
Rumour probability: 6/10
Former Madrid manager, Julen Lopetegui, had asked specifically for Thiago in the summer, but Bayern Munich's chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge refused to allow the player to leave.
Now, Santiago Solari has the reins, but it's believed that he's also interested in the Spaniard, and isn't put off by the fact that Thiago has recently signed a contract extension until 2021, which will inevitably hike up his value considerably.
A transfer would be likely, but only if Madrid are prepared to make a big offer.
#4 Brahim Diaz (Manchester City)
Brahim Diaz is a 19-year-old attacking midfielder who plays for Manchester City in the Premier League. He features for Spain's U21 side, having made just one appearance since his debut in September 2017.
He made the switch from Malaga's youth academy to Manchester City's youth academy back in January 2014 for £315k. A year later he was promoted to Man City's U18 squad, before joining the U23 team a year after that. He finally made it into the City first team in January 2018, where he's remained since.
Whilst Diaz doesn't play that often, he is very highly regarded at Manchester City and many believe that he'll be a key player for the side in a few years. The appearances that he does make for City tend to be in cup matches, like the Community Shield or the EFL Cup.
Rumour probability: 7/10
However, Real Madrid have recently been linked with the teenager, reportedly offering €10 million (£9 million), but City want a figure in the region of €20 million (£18 million), according to Cadena COPE (via mcfcwatch.com).
It came as a surprise to some fans to hear that City didn't accept the initial offer, given the fact that Brahim Diaz's contract with the club is up in the summer, which means he could go for nothing.
Diaz is from Spain, so playing for Madrid could likely have been a life-long dream for him. He's obviously fluent in the language so would settle in well there. But it's down to the clubs to decide his future at this stage.
#3 Iago Aspas (Celta de Vigo)
Iago Aspas is a 31-year-old striker who plays for Celta de Vigo in La Liga. He has also featured for Spain's national team, having made 17 appearances since his debut in November 2016.
Aspas is a product of Celta de Vigo's youth set-up, having advanced through the ranks before finally making it into the first team in the summer of 2009. Within four seasons, Liverpool came knocking and bought the striker for just under £10m in 2013.
Unfortunately, his spell with the Reds didn't work out and after a dismal first season, he was shipped out on loan to Sevilla. Upon returning, he found that there was still no place for him in the Liverpool line-up, and was promptly sold to Sevilla for a mere £5m in the summer of 2015.
Oddly enough, Aspas was sold to Celta de Vigo six days after this transfer for £4.7m. He's remained with Celta de Vigo since, and has improved tenfold. Transfermarkt value the striker at £22.5m, which speaks volumes when you consider he's now entered his 30s.
Real Madrid have recently shown interest in the Spain international, possibly eyeing him to serve as a back-up striker to add some more depth up front.
Rumour probability: 7/10
Aspas himself told the media that Real would need to call Celta to discuss his potential transfer if they were really interested, as his desire is just to focus on football. He was heavily linked with Madrid back in the summer, but after new speculation arose last month about a switch, Aspas could be making a move in January.
Aspas has a £40m transfer release clause, which Madrid would easily afford if they wanted him.
#2 Nabil Fekir (Olympique Lyon)
Nabil Fekir is a 25-year-old attacking midfielder who plays for Olympique Lyon in Ligue 1. He also features for France's national team, having made 20 appearances since his debut in March 2015.
Fekir is an asset to Lyon's first team, being thrown into the line-up whenever he's fit. So far this season he's played 11 matches in Ligue 1, scoring three goals and assisting two. The season prior, Fekir scored 18 goals in 30 appearances, assisting a further eight. Interest from other clubs was always going to be inevitable.
Liverpool had come extremely close to signing Fekir in the summer, even going as far as selecting his shirt number, but the deal fell through at the last minute, and nothing ever came of it.
L'Equipe (via The Mirror) report that Los Blancos are monitoring his progress with a view to making a move in January.
Rumour probability: 7/10
There's no doubting that if Madrid were to get an offer for Fekir accepted, the France international would jump at the opportunity to sign for such a prestigious club. But Fekir cost Liverpool £60m in the summer, and given how much he's improved since then, Madrid might have to pay a hefty fee to get their man next month.
#1 Edinson Cavani (Paris Saint-Germain)
Edinson Cavani is a 31-year-old striker who plays for Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1. He also features for Uruguay's national team, having made 109 appearances since his debut in February 2008.
Cavani had spells with Napoli and Palermo before signing with PSG in the summer of 2013 for almost £60m. He's been their star player for a long time now, but has been recently overshadowed by the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Neymar.
Real Madrid's interest in Cavani is understandable given how well he's played so far this season - scoring 10 goals in 10 matches is no mean feat.
Rumour probability: 6/10
The Daily Express reported recently that Cavani's rocky relationship with Neymar is what's edging him closer to the exit door. Their relationship has been in a steady decline since Neymar first joined PSG in the summer of 2017.
This makes a move to Madrid all the more likely, but whether he truly wants to leave Paris is anyone's guess, but Madrid would still be regarded as a step up from PSG.
