Real Madrid are ‘optimistic of signing Neymar but first they have to sell’

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Neymar is continuing to take the necessary steps to get himself out of Paris Saint-Germain in order to move to Real Madrid in the coming weeks, as Zinedine Zidane’s side are now frontrunners for his signature.

Nasser Al-Khelaifi has authorised the player’s representatives to speak with Los Blancos to reach an agreement, which isn’t far off, but then the two clubs will need to find a deal that suits both, with the French champions not wanting to see him return to Barcelona.

But Madrid need to sell in order to sign, and Gareth Bale is one player whose future could determine their success in pursuit of the Brazilian.

Mariano Diaz and James Rodriguez could also weigh on the deal, but PSG are clear that they won’t accept any players in exchange and so Madrid will need to find homes for those mentioned.

Bayern Munich are now the team interested in the Welshman, weeks after they rejected the idea of signing him. Mariano seems set for Monaco, while Napoli and Atletico Madrid are still in the hunt for James.

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Optimism is growing at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu though and they hope to reach an agreement even before LaLiga Santander returns. Failing that, they’ll keep working until the window shuts on September 2.

Madrid have always maintained that they want to stick to their salary structure, but they’ve also said that should a top player arrive then their salary wouldn’t be an issue, and Neymar fits that description.

The Brazilian maintains contact with the Los Blancos players that he knows and, importantly, Zidane has given his backing to the signing.

For now, though, Madrid know that they need to sell if they want to sign.

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