Shock Premier League star on Real Madrid shortlist for central midfield reinforcements | OneFootball

At one stage it looked as if Dani Ceballos would be the answer to Real Madrid’s woes in central midfield since the loss of Toni Kroos, but as the season has progressed, it appears to have become increasingly apparent that they may need reinforcements. What form that takes is not yet clear.

Los Blancos have been mostly closely linked with Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi, who has a €60m release clause. However they will face strong competition from Arsenal, who believe they are close to securing his signature. In recent weeks Los Blancos have also been linked to Liverpool star Alexis Mac Allister, with that speculation fuelled by his father.

Mac Allister played down those links in recent days, noting he was happy at Anfield, but now RadioMarca have revealed that he has in fact been discussed by Real Madrid. Carlo Ancelotti reportedly asked for Mac Allister as one of the options to help replace Kroos, while another is a new name on the Real Madrid radar.

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Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali has been spoken about in conjunction with Barcelona in recent months, albeit with an air of uncertainty over their capacity to do a deal financially. Tonali was the second name that Ancelotti suggested to Real Madrid as an option for their midfield though.

Since returning from his long-term suspension, Tonali has continued to demonstrate just how good he can be. It is not yet clear whether Real Madrid would consider either Tonali or Mac Allister now with Ancelotti seemingly on his way out of the Santiago Bernabeu. Both players seem far more difficult than Zubimendi though, with neither having release clauses in their deals, and neither Liverpool or Newcastle keen to sell them. Real Madrid tend only to spend big on players in their early twenties or late teens.