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Hello and welcome to Sportskeeda's daily Real Madrid transfer news roundup.
Los Blancos are currently second in the La Liga table, behind league leaders Barcelona on goal difference. Following a huge summer revamp, Zinedine Zidane's side have performed decently in the league and in Europe. They have qualified for the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 and are set to face Manchester City in late February.
It is reported that winning the club's 34th La Liga title is the priority for Zidane who is certainly hoping to boost his squad in January. With less than two weeks to go before the winter transfer window opens, here is a look at the latest news and rumours surrounding the club.
Paul Pogba wants to stay at Manchester United
According to the Telegraph, Pogba is keen to stay put at Old Trafford instead of forcing a move in the coming transfer window. Real Madrid have been a long-term pursuer of the midfielder, but it appears that chances of Pogba playing for Los Blancos are slim.
The 26-year-old's agent, Mino Raiola, commented:
“Paul wants to be successful and happy and wants to win prizes and he would love to do that with Manchester United.”
“Okay there was big interest from Real Madrid and Manchester didn’t let him go. We didn’t make a fuss about it and he didn’t make a fuss about it because I work in accordance with the player."
Pogba is struggling to recover from an ankle injury and he has not played since facing Arsenal in September.
Dortmund keen to keep Achraf Hakimi
Borussia Dortmund welcomed Achraf Hakimi in the summer of 2018 when the defender signed a two-year loan deal. His loan will come to an end in the summer but the Bundesliga team are already thinking of keeping him even longer.
Based on a report from AS, Dortmund are set to hold talks with Zidane's side soon. Dortmund's sporting director Michael Zorc explained:
"We've repeatedly expressed our interest in keeping Achraf here beyond the summer, but right now isn't the time for a decision to be made on this."
"Ultimately, it comes down to Real Madrid, but a decision hasn't been made. We'll hold talks in the coming weeks or months."
The 21-year-old has been a regular player under Lucien Favre, making a total of 26 appearances for Dortmund thus far this season.
Real Madrid hope that Karim Benzema extends his contract
Karim Benzema's contract with Real Madrid will expire in 2021. The La Liga team are wasting no time and are reportedly interested in renewing his contract and could potentially offer the Frenchman a new contract which lasts until 2023.
The 32-year-old made the move to Madrid back in 2009. Since then, he has 238 goals in 487 appearances. As he ages, Benzema is reportedly considering if he should take it step by step, which is to first extend his deal until 2022. Thereafter, depending on his form, the forward could let the youngsters take over if he is not up to the mark.
