Reports: Real Madrid want Chelsea midfielder Nemanja Matic

Madrid calling?

Nemanja Matic is now Real Madrid's top midfield target according to a report in the London Evening Standard.  Zinedine Zidane wants to sign Chelsea midfielder ‘at any cost’ this summer.

Having reportedly missed out on Paul Pogba to Manchester United, Real Madrid have turned their attention to Chelsea midfielder, Nemanja Matic. The Serbian was in fine form for Chelsea in their title-winning 2014/15 season but was nowhere near to his best last season. He was often benched by Guus Hiddink in favor of John Obi Mikel.

Antonio Contre recently confirmed in a media press conference that the Serbian midfielder is ‘not for sale’ but Zidane is said to be interested in testing Chelsea with a bid for the midfielder. Although a bid is yet to be made, Zidane is said to be in constant touch with the midfielder.

According to the report, Real Madrid value Matic at £34 million and are have made their intentions of signing the Serbian clear to Chelsea. The Blues are yet to make a decision on whether to sell him or not but it looks like he’s lost his position in the starting XI to N’Golo Kante who was signed from Leicester City last month.

Apart from Matic, Newcastle United’s Sissoko and PSG’s Matuidi are said to be on Real Madrid’s transfer target list.  Zidane has made it clear that he wants to sign a midfielder this summer and the club is working round the clock to find the best possible solution.

Things at Santiago Bernabeu don’t look good as Zidane and Perez have different opinions on whom to sign. The manager wants to sign a technically superior and deep-lying player like Matic whilst Perez wants the club to sign a box-to-box type player like Newcastle United’s Sissoko.

Zidane reportedly met with Perez earlier this week to decide on a target, but nothing has been decided yet. Real Madrid duo were keen on signing Paul Pogba but backed out when Juventus’ started demanding a fee of at least €100 million.

Chelsea meanwhile have also received a bid of £30 million for Oscar from Inter Milan. Antonio Conte would not like to see both the players depart the club just days before the Premier League begins but with offers of £30 million for Oscar and £34 million for Matic, it might not be very easy for the club to reject both bids.

Real Madrid are looking to get rid of James Rodriguez and Isco and might try to sneak in one of the two midfielders in the bid to snap up Matic from Chelsea. Matic is also a target for Juventus as they try to sign a replacement for Paul Pogba who’s all but joined Manchester United.