re: 2013 Summer Transfer Thread

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The story goes that whilst he was waiting for PSG to find his replacement, Carlo Ancelotti sat down to watch a Spain U-21 game. He initially intended to focus his attention on Isco, Morata and Verratti, but what he discovered that day was Illarramendi. It was the youngster's tactical nous and professional approach that interested him in particular.

So, some days later, when he was having a conversation about how to strengthen the squad with Zidane, the Frenchman explained that reinforcing the team at centre-mid was a priority, and Asier Illarramendi's name was one of the first that they both agreed on.

This, together with the player suiting the profile that Florentino is looking for – due to his quality, his influence on the game and the added bonus of him being Spanish – means that the Real Sociedad midfielder is being considered as a strategic reinforcement, one that would provide natural cover for Xabi Alonso. The opinion in Real Madrid HQ is that "Bale would be the finishing touch, but a centre-mid is a necessity".

So in the end Real's sights aren't centred on Verratti, Vidal, Pirlo or Paulinho. Unless the verbal agreement with Ilkay Gündogan to join next summer can be expedited by a year, which is not likely to happen, Real Madrid is going to start channelling its efforts into convincing Real Sociedad to open negotiations for 'Illara' instead.

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