'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAHAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFQABAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABQb/2gAIAQEAAAAAllv/xAAUAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAG/9oACAECEAAAADf/xAAUAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAE/9oACAEDEAAAAC//xAAfEAACAgIBBQAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgMFBBEABhMhIlH/2gAIAQEAAT8A6iscvGFa9bMEifNgimj7Y2yFvPtx7KMOdAa385//xAAWEQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABACL/2gAIAQIBAT8AXJf/xAAVEQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEf/aAAgBAwEBPwCv/9k='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Real Madrid are just hours away from their LaLiga Santander fixture against Elche as they look to defend their Spanish title. The Blancos are set to be bolstered by the return of superstar forward Eden Hazard for the game but will be without playmaker Isco, who has opted out of the matchday squad for personal reasons. Real Madrid won five successive fixtures in the league and are on 32 points from 15 games, but are behind rivals Atletico Madrid on the table.
Ahead of their upcoming game, here, we take a look at the latest Real Madrid news.
Zinedine Zidane drops cryptic hint over Isco and Marcelo
Real Madrid stars Isco and Marcelo have been long linked with exits from the club. The Spaniard and the Brazilian have fallen down the pecking order at the club with the likes of Martin Odegaard and Ferland Mendy respectively being preferred in their roles. With their contracts set to run out next year, Los Blancos are likely to allow both to depart for a transfer fee in the near future as opposed to them walking away for free.
Speaking on potential transfers ahead of their game against Elche, Zinedine Zidane refused to delve into much detail regarding his star players' futures. He said;
''I count on all my players and they are Real Madrid players. Whether they want to leave or not is not something I can control, but I can say that they are very involved, they train very well. I’m sorry because they are players who want to play, it’s the bad side of being a coach. These are complicated moments.”
While Marcelo has been heavily linked with a move to Juventus, Isco has a long list of admirers both home and abroad including Sevilla, Juventus, AC Milan, Everton, and others.
Tottenham Hotspur join race for Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos
Sergio Ramos' future has been one of the biggest talking points ahead of the transfer window with several clubs lining up for his signature should he fail to extend his stay in the Spanish capital, including Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus. However, if reports are to be believed, Tottenham Hotspur have joined the race for his services.
The 34-year-old is set to become a free agent come summer and is holding out for a two-year deal at the club, but it is unclear as of yet if Real Madrid are willing to offer that to a player who turns 35 in roughly three months.
Jose Mourinho, a former Real Madrid manager, has worked with Ramos in the past and is said to be keeping tabs on the Spanish skipper's situation in Madrid.
Brahim could extend stay in Milan
Real Madrid playmaker Brahim Diaz could be set to prolong his stay in Serie A, as per reports. The Spanish wonderkid has impressed despite limited game time for AC Milan and have convinced the Rossoneri hierarchy to try and extend his stay beyond the initial dry loan agreed upon until the end of the 2020/21 season.
A new report from Italy now claims that AC Milan will ask Real Madrid to extend his dry loan by another season and insert an option to purchase him permanently in the summer of 2022. The offer could also have a buy-back option that Real Madrid could choose to exercise. So far, the 21-year-old has made nine starts across Serie A and the UEFA Europa League, racking up four goals and an assist in that period.
