Sergio Ramos aims to stop Van Persie

Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos has insisted that the Spanish giants must be aware of Manchester United's in-form striker Robin van Persie.

The Dutchman is likely to start against Los Blancos in the first leg of the Champions League round-of-16 clash at the Bernabeu on Wednesday.



"Van Persie is on very, very good form," The Guardian quotes Ramos as saying. "We hadn't seen him this good for years. He's quick, strikes the ball well, he's a constant nuisance.



"[Wayne] Rooney's different. He's hard-work, heavy going. He enjoys the physical challenge. I prefer that, to be honest. I like that defender versus striker battle, that challenge."



Meanwhile, former United defender Gary Neville believes that the Red Devils will have to double up on Cristiano Ronaldo in order to stop him from controlling the game.

Sir Alex wary of Madrid threat

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson says the UEFA Champions League is Real Madrid's ultimate goal ahead of Wednesday's last-16 first leg at the Bernabeu.



Los Blancos are currently 16 points adrift of La Liga leaders Barcelona and have recently slipped up against Granada, Valencia and Osasuna domestically.

With little hope of defending their Spanish crown, Ferguson believes opposite number Jose Mourinho will be determined to steer Real to claiming Europe's top trophy for the first time in 11 years at Wembley in May.

Ferguson said: "I think their target is the European Cup. They got a bad start in the league and were chasing their tail a bit because Barcelona's form has been incredible. I think Jose has set his targets firmly on the European Cup, no doubt about that.

"It can be harder for us but there's a bit of pressure for them too. At this moment in time we're involved in three things. Jose has still got the semi-final of the Copa del Rey, they play Barca next week and then again in a league game before we play them on the Tuesday at Old Trafford. So they've got a big programme themselves.



"You look at English football and say it's a very, very difficult programme and every game is hard but you look at Madrid's programme at the moment and it's also very difficult. Every game is hard."

Mourinho relishing huge tie

Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho is relishing the chance to face Manchester United again as the sides prepare for their Champions League showdown.



The Spanish champions welcome the Red Devils to the Bernabeu on Wednesday for the first leg - and Mourinho hopes the teams rise to the occasion.

The Portuguese, who was at Old Trafford to see United beat Everton 2-0 on Sunday, told MUTV: "It is the match the world is waiting for. People think we are under pressure because a big team will be out.

"But it is the kind of match we want and the people are not waiting for any other game. I hope we give them what they want."

On pitting his wits against old foe Sir Alex Ferguson, the former Chelsea boss added: "I feel privileged about that because he is such an important person in the world of football and, more importantly, he is good person.

"I have always had a fantastic relationship with him and I am proud of it. We have had so many matches between us which started with Porto. We had some with Chelsea, Inter and now Real. Some I had won, some I have lost, others I have drawn.



"Of course, I want to win and he wants to win, but I believe the loser will have a little bit of space to feel a little bit happy because of the friendship. But make no mistake, I want to win."

Enzo Zidane sent off for violent conduct

Zinedine Zidane's son Enzo proved he has inherited some of his dad's famous temper by earning a red card nine minutes after coming on as a second-half substitute for Real Madrid's Under-18s.



The 17 year old, who goes by the name of Enzo Fernández to reduce the pressure of being compared with his father, kicked out at an opponent when they were both on the ground, leaving the Aspire International player clutching his groin.



Enzo, recently linked with a move to Liverpool, made headlines in 2009 with a call-up to the Spain Under-15 side.



His father's famous 2006 World Cup final altercation with Marco Materazzi was recently commemorated by a new bronze statue outside the Pompidou Centre in Paris.

Lionel Messi hits 4, Cristiano Ronaldo passes 300 goals

Lionel Messi hit four goals for leaders Barcelona and Cristiano Ronaldo grabbed a hat-trick for Real Madrid as the two teams warmed up for their midweek King's Cup semi-final clash with crushing La Liga victories on Sunday.

Messi took his league tally in 21 games this season to an incredible 33, and to 202 overall, in Barca's 5-1 win at home to 10-man Osasuna while Ronaldo passed 300 club goals and now has 21 this term as Real thumped Getafe 4-0 at the Bernabeu.



Barca's return to winning ways after last weekend's 3-2 reverse at Real Sociedad, their first defeat of the campaign, put them 11 points clear of second-placed Atletico Madrid who lost 3-0 at Athletic Bilbao.



Champions Real, whose hopes of a second straight title are effectively over with 17 matches to go, are four points behind Atletico in third spot. Ronaldo struck three times in 10 minutes, the first his 300th club goal.Mourinho, who turned 50 on Saturday, left several key players out of his starting lineup including Xabi Alonso and Sami Khedira while goalkeeper Casillas was missing after breaking a bone in his hand in midweek.

The Portuguese, Cristiano Ronaldo who was substituted with 15 minutes left after a knock to his right ankle, scored five for Sporting Lisbon, 118 for Manchester United and now has 179 for Real thanks to his 20th career treble.



Malaga reclaimed Spain's fourth Champions League qualification berth from Andalusian rivals Real Betis when the Qatar-owned club survived the second-half dismissal of Martin Demichelis to win 3-2 at struggling Real Mallorca.



Malaga have 35 points, eight behind Real, and lead Betis on goal difference. Rayo Vallecano continued to defy their modest status and are a point behind Betis in sixth place after they beat the Seville-based side 3-0.



World Player of the Year Messi became the first player to score on 11 successive La Liga matchdays and, at 25, the youngest to reach 200 league goals.



He has scored more goals on his own than all the other La Liga teams apart from Real and Atletico and is on course to smash the record for the most in a season (50) he set last term.

Mourinho plays down PSG link

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has conceded defeat in the Primera Liga title race while distancing himself from the Paris Saint-Germain job.



The Portuguese faces an uncertain future at the Bernabeu as Real struggle to close a 15-point gap on league leaders Barcelona, with reports in Spain suggesting Mourinho is also at odds with several club directors and members of his playing staff.



The 49-year-old has been linked with a summer return to England, where he managed Chelsea to two Premier League titles, or a potential move to ambitious French outfit PSG.



An in-depth interview with Mourinho will be broadcast on French radio station RMC Sport this afternoon, but Spanish newspaper AS published several key points of discussion on their official website in advance.



Mourinho told RMC Sport: "The La Liga title is impossible now, there is too big a gap. We have to focus on other goals like the Copa del Rey and the Champions League."



"It does no good to obsess over these things, obsession only makes things more complicated. Nothing will be easy."



"We need to stay calm and make the most of every opportunity."



PSG have struggled to dominate Ligue 1 this season despite heavy investment in the playing squad, with star names Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Thiago Silva and Ezequiel Lavezzi being drafted in by head coach Carlo Ancelotti and director of football Leonardo.



Mourinho believes the capital club will prove to be a force to be reckoned with, both at home and abroad, but rejected suggestions he could replace Ancelotti in the summer.



"No, I don't think I will coach PSG," he added. "The success of PSG with Ancelotti and Leonardo means they have no need for another coach.



"I hope everything goes well for Carlo and PSG."



"Europe needs to have a city like Paris competing at the top level of football, and I think this project is going to work."



The Portuguese was also eager to play down his reputation as a controversial figure having drawn unwanted attention to himself on several occasions.



One such incident resulted in a two-match ban as Mourinho appeared to jab then-Barcelona assistant coach Tito Vilanova in the eye at the end of a Spanish Super Cup game in August 2011.



He added: "People talk about controversies that don't exist. Every day I hear about controversies concerning me but are unfounded."



"I am a football coach, I am just doing my job and trying to get good results."

Kaka could make an emotional return to Milan

AC Milan have admitted to being in talks with Real Madrid regarding the possibility of taking Kaka back to Italy on loan.



Kaka spent six memorable years at Giuseppe Meazza prior to making a big-money switch to Spain in 2009.



The former World Player of the Year has struggled to produce his best in Madrid, and is now deemed surplus to requirements.



Milan have expressed an interest in his services in the past, but have been unable to put an agreement in place.



They are hoping for a more positive outcome this time around, with a loan offer having been put to Real president Florentino Perez by his Milan counterpart Silvio Berlusconi.



Milan's TV station, Milan Channel, have revealed that negotiations are underway, with Kaka having declared on Wednesday during a visit to Italy that he would be open to a move.



He told Sky Italia: "To come back to Milan, I am ready to do anything.

"It's not a good situation for me at Real Madrid. I have already asked Milan to find a solution because during my time with Milan I enjoyed some of the best moments of my life."

Referee complaint against Di María

The Spanish Football Federation's disciplinary body has been busy in the wake of Madrid player Ángel Di María's comments in which he insinuated that recent refereeing mistakes were intentional. "There are decisions from the referees that are not errors, they are making bad calls against us", said the Argentine.



As soon as the refereeing organisation got wind of this, things were put into the hands of its legal department which, after a detailed examination, decided to file a complaint with the Competition Committee.



The referees want the Committee to analyse the statements made and, as they attack the refereeing organisation, they believe call its integrity into question.



The Competition committee will now notify Real Madrid so that it can respond. Once that is received, the issue could be resolved, or a special investigation may be opened.



The most likely thing is that Di María will be fined. That is the logical outcome looking at previous similar cases this season. The examining magistrate Juan Miguel Martín Esteban has already drawn up a disciplinary plan for Diop, Juanlu and Wakaso for their comments regarding the refereeing organisation. The two former players likened a decision by Muñiz Fernández to theft, while Wakaso insinuated that there was racism among the referees. The fine for each player could be around €1,500.



Di María has therefore become the fourth player reported by the Comité Técnico de Árbitros (refereeing body) to the Competition Committee this season.

Mourinho: "One day I will go back to England"

José Mourinho has again expressed his love for the Premier League, claiming that "one day" he will coach in England again because English football "means a lot" to him.



In a video tribute to the FA as part of the latter's 150th anniversary celebrations, Mou admitted that "there couldn't be a better place to go" than England. "My memories in English football couldn't be better", he continued: "I loved it from the first day to the last day. I don't regret my last day because after that I was lucky enough to enjoy Italy and also Spain. But I know that one day I will come back because English football means a lot to myself".



Mourinho believes that English football is "pure football; the football you play as a kid in the street, transported in time and space into organised competitions and into the real world of football. In England you feel the real passion for the game; it's not just about passion for clubs, it's about passion for football and you feel it. When you are in England, you feel proud to be in football".



The Portuguese coach also reflected fondly on the FA Cup, the last trophy he lifted with Chelsea: "I know what I felt when I had to go up the Wembley stairs. For me, the FA Cup represents the passion of football. It represents clean football. It represents the good smell of football", he concluded.

Without Ronaldo, just one shot on goal!

It was a game to gauge Real Madrid's performance in the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese striker, who was suspended for the game, always has one eye on taking a shot at the opposition's goal. That is exactly what José Mourinho's side was lacking on Saturday. It had just one shot on goal and it came from Benzema in the last minute.



It was painfully clear that Real Madrid's attacking play overly depends on the work of its Portuguese superstar. It creates many more goalscoring chances with him on the pitch and more importantly, those chances are turned into goals.



It seems inexplicable that a team that fielded Higuaín, Di María, Modric, Callejón and that later brought on Kaká and Benzema could only manage one shot Andrés Fernández's goal. The Osasuna keeper wasn’t troubled in the slightest.



It's strange, but Real Madrid is the team with the most shots on goal in La Liga. It has managed a total of 150 shots, an average of 8.3 shots per game. Barcelona is the team with the second-highest number of shots with 133, or 7.4 per game. Despite these numbers, Madrid was ineffective in attack on Saturday.

Sahin completes Dortmund move

Nuri Sahin has completed a magnificent return to two-time German champions Borussia Dortmund on a long-term loan deal following his disappointing short spell at Anfield.



Sahin, the 2010-11 Bundesliga Player of the Year, bagged three goals and three assists in 12 appearances in all competitions for Liverpool this season.



The Turkey international joined Real Madrid for a transfer fee of €10 million following the 2010-11 season, inking a lucrative six-year deal with the Spanish giants.



After failing to break into the first-team at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, Sahin was loaned out to Liverpool at the beginning of this season.



However, once again, he failed to establish himself at Anfield, and his season-long loan was cut short as a result.



His return to Germany is perhaps exactly what he needs, providing him with a familiar setting where he played the best football of his career, at the Signal Iduna Park.



Dortmund are glad to bring back Sahin following his departure from the club in 2011, insists Dortmund chief executive Aki Watzke.



“We emphasised during our title celebrations in 2011 that Nuri Sahin will always remain a very special Borussia Dortmund player and that the door would always be open to him if he ever felt the desire to come back and play for us,” said Watzke. “In the past few days, Nuri approached us with this wish, and we have made it become reality.



“We are very pleased to be able to welcome another player of his quality to our squad.”

Coentrao receives first fine of 2013

All members of the Real Madrid squad returned to training on 1st January, except one, Fabio Coentrao. The Portuguese failed to attend the club's training session and will be fined accordingly.



Coentrao is out injured, but isn't exempt from returning to training along with the rest of the squad after the Christmas break. The Portuguese full-back has been struggling with injury since the start of the season. He took a knock during the game against Espanyol and was seen stretching on the pitch throughout. He failed to recover in time for the last game of the year against Malaga.



The Portuguese full-back isn't having a great season. In gameweek two, against Getafe, he was suspended for four games for insulting the match referee, Pérez Lasa.



Injured whilst on international duty with Portugal, he's barely featured in the first team this season, although he did open his scoring account for the season against Espanyol in the Bernabeu.

Modric: I have something to offer Madrid

Luka Modric has promised to win over Jose Mourinho in the second half of the season as Real Madrid attempt to chase La Liga leaders Barcelona.



The former Tottenham playmaker, pivotal at White Hart Lane, has often underwhelmed since swapping England for Spain last August.



Although the 27-year-old has started just eight league games and registered a solitary goal since completing his 37-million-euro transfer, Modric insists he has a contribution to make to the team despite being voted the worst signing of the season in Spain in a newspaper poll recently.



"I have had a few good performances, if not in every game, but I believe I can prove I have something to offer," Modric told Croatian newspaper Sportske.



The diminutive midfielder has been kept out of the side by the likes of Xabi Alonso along with German pair Mesut Oezil and Sami Khedira.



The trio were central to Real Madrid's title win last season, but Modric has played down notions that he has been overawed by the challenge of breaking into such an established set-up.



"It is very challenging to adapt to life at a big club like Madrid, but I'm not the kind of person to make excuses," Modric said.



"This is Real Madrid and I understand there is great pressure for new signings to succeed here."

Coentrao hasn't ruled out a move

Fabio Coentrao is going to reconsider his future at the end of the season. The Portuguese left-back isn't ruling out a move despite the fact that he still has four years left on his contract. Indeed, there are several reasons that he’s thinking about changing his career path.



Between injuries and taking longer than usual to settle down at the club, he hasn’t connected well with fans and hasn't been able to shine as he did with Benfica. Expectations from the €30 million that he cost the club have also weighed him down.



The player himself has told teammates and technical staff that he'd like to be playing better and that he's not happy with how he's performing. Real Madrid’s interest in Gareth Bale could also have an influence in that Coentrao could have more competition if the Welshman joins the club.



The Portuguese international’s future could include a spell in London. Chelsea, a club that tried to sign him in the past, is still interested in acquiring his services. The Blues recently decided not to extend the contract of their current left-back Ashley Cole, which ends this season.



As with all international players, Coentrao is already looking ahead to the 2014 World Cup and, although he's considered indispensable by manager Paulo Bento, it’s known within his club that he’d like to get more time on the pitch.

Monday's round up of the top transfer stories

- Xabi Alonso has admitted he could return to the Premier League as his ongoing contract talks remain clouded in uncertainty at Real Madrid.



- Crystal Palace will reject Manchester United's opening offer of £8million for star winger Wilfried Zaha, according to Dailymail.



- Mathieu Debuchy's transfer to Newcastle will finally happen once they settle on bonus fees with Lille.



- Liverpool face competition from Manchester City, Everton and Southampton for Birmingham goalkeeper Jack Butland.



- Chelsea are confident of winning the race to sign Atletico Madrid striker Radamel Falcao, according to the Sunday Mirror.



- Chelsea's Frank Lampard says there is no sign of a contract extension at Stamford Bridge despite his good form.



- Theo Walcott, who has been linked with the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United, says his Arsenal future "will be sorted soon".



- Arsenal boss is ready to raid Southampton for another of their talented ­youngsters as he looks to tie up a January deal for teenage left-back Luke Shaw.



- Everton and Southampton have targeted Italian defender Davide Astori ahead of the opening of the January transfer window.



- Everton defender Seamus Coleman has signed a new five-and-a-half-year contract with the club.



- Eintracht Frankfurt want Everton midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger.



- Roberto Mancini admits he might be forced to consider signing some new players in the January transfer window.



- And believes Mario Balotelli will stay at Manchester City as he has a big admirer in owner Sheikh Mansour, but has warned the striker to improve his attitude.



- Manchester United winger Nani has been told he still has a future at the club following reports linking him with a move to Arsenal.



- Demba Ba’s proposed move to Chelsea is off, according to Agent.



- Goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini looks set for a fresh start in America after Tottenham announced they have reached an agreement to sell the goalkeeper to Major League Soccer outfit the LA Galaxy.



- The agent of Chelsea winger Kevin de Bruyne says there have been no discussions over Werder Bremen trying to sign the Belgium international permanently when his loan deal expires.



- Newcastle are continuing to show interest in West Ham defender James Tomkins.



- Sunderland manager Martin O'Neill has admitted he could let Ji Dong-won go out on loan next month.



- Sky Sports sources understand Swansea City are interested in Bolton Wanderers defender Marcos Alonso.



- West Brom defender Jonas Olsson is wanted by Fenerbahce.



- Reading are trying to tie up a January deal for Australian starlet Tomas Rogic.



- Reading have pulled off a surprise coup with a £500,000 deal for Sporting Lisbon defender Daniel Carrico.



- Norwich City will table a £3million offer for Crystal Palace striker Glenn Murray this week.



- Juventus have put together a player-plus-cash package in order to beat Manchester City to Sampdoria star Pedro Obiang.



- Juventus are poised to rekindle their long-standing interest in Manchester City target Stevan Jovetic, according to sources in Italy.



- Juventus are ready to steal a march on a string of Premier League clubs in the race to sign Theo Walcott - and could open talks with the striker’s representatives this week.



- Sunderland boss Martin O'Neill is weighing up a January move for Inter Milan midfielder Joel Obi.



- Inter Milan midfielder Wesley Sneijder has moved to dampen speculation linking him with a January move to Liverpool.



- Alexandre Pato's move to Corinthians in Brazil is about to be made official, according to his agent.



- Serie A high-flyers Fiorentina are ready to battle with Juventus and Spurs for Roma hitman Pablo Daniel Osvaldo.



- Lazio are eyeing an audacious January move for Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard, according to Corriere dello Sport.



- Celta Vigo coach Paco Herrera is confident Swansea City target Iago Aspas will not be sold in January.



- Portsmouth have signed striker David Connolly on a one-month deal but top scorer Izale McLeod has departed Fratton Park.



- Bristol Rovers have completed the loan signings of QPR striker Tom Hitchcock and Colchester midfielder John-Joe O'Toole.



- Bristol Rovers have signed Millwall goalkeeper Steve Mildenhall on loan after he was recalled from his stay at Scunthorpe.

Monday's round up of the top transfer stories

- Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo is keen on returning to former club Manchester United next summer, according to The Sun.



- Santos striker Neymar, who has been linked with the likes of Barcelona, Manchester United and Real Madrid, has emerged as a target for Manchester City, according to the Sunday Telegraph.



- Chelsea manager Rafael Benitez insists Fernando Torres is fully behind the club's bid to bring in a new striker during the January transfer window, with the Blues widely believed to be preparing to launch a bid for Atletico Madrid star Radamel Falcao.



- Chelsea star Eden Hazard dreams of playing for Real Madrid, international team-mate Christian Benteke has told The Sun.



- Romelu Lukaku hopes Chelsea will allow him to see out a season-long loan at West Brom, rather than recall him in January.



- Tottenham defender Benoit Assou-Ekotto has played down reports that he could join Chelsea, telling Sky Sports: "I have a contract until 2015 with Spurs and I do not know if they want to sell me, so for me it is paper talk."



- Valencia have made a move to snatch Arsenal and Liverpool target Isaac Cuenca on loan from Barcelona.



- Manchester United are among a string of Premier League clubs tracking Sporting Lisbon youngster Carlos Mane.



- Sampdoria have told Manchester City to give up their pursuit of Pedro Obiang - and have warned them they will face competition from Napoli and Juventus when the Serie A side finally decide to cash in.



- Stoke City will sell midfielder Michael Tonge to Leeds United in January.



- Arsenal and Liverpool target Fernando Llorente is expected to leave Athletic Bilbao on a free transfer next summer rather than move clubs in January, according to reports in Spain.



- Denilson says he does not know if he will return to Arsenal when his loan spell at Sao Paulo comes to an end next summer.



- Jack Wilshere is hoping Theo Walcott will become the latest Arsenal player to commit his long-term future to the club.



- Stewart Downing claims he has never wanted to leave Liverpool and hopes his return to form will earn him an extended stay.



- Manchester United target Viktor Fischer says it is too early to contemplate leaving Ajax



- West Ham are set to renew their interest in Charlton defender Chris Solly when the transfer window reopens in January.



- West Ham are set to make a decision in the next week if they are to make a permanent move for Seattle Sounders midfielder Osvaldo Alonso.



- Swansea City could face competition from Atletico Madrid for the signature of Iago Aspas.



- FC Nordsjaelland star Jores Okore is flattered by speculation linking him with a possible move to Manchester United.



- Barcelona director of football Andoni Zubizarreta has rejected reports linking David Villa with a move away from Camp Nou in January.



- AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani has confirmed that Brazilian duo Robinho and Alexandre Pato have both asked to leave the club.



- Adel Taarabt has claimed that while his agent has spoken to AC Milan, other factors would have to happen before any move to the San Siro.



- Salomon Kalou is determined to be a success at Lille and is not looking for a move, according to his representative.



- Bastia have announced the signing of goalkeeper Mickael Landreau on a deal until the end of the season.



- Blackburn defender Gael Givet could be set for a return to France in the January transfer window.



- Nicky Weaver has admitted he may have to leave Sheffield Wednesday in the January transfer window.



- Leeds United boss Neil Warnock has warned rival clubs that Luciano Becchio will be off-limits in the January transfer window.



- Huddersfield have extended Jermaine Beckford's loan deal from Leicester until the end of the season.

Mourinho: Varane played through the pain

Real Madrid manager, Jose Mourinho expressed his disappointment in several of his player’s performances in their 2-1 loss to Celta Vigo on Wednesday evening, but insisted that they can still win the tie.

In his post-match press conference, Mourinho did not call out players specifically, but hinted that there were players who were not giving their all, while praising defender, Raphael Varane for fighting through injury to remain on the pitch.



“Varane is a champion because he was injured and played through the pain, he gave more injured than others who weren’t. He did his job as a centre forward because he couldn’t sprint and defend. We left him there and he did well. It was my decision to leave Morata out. Sometimes I make good decisions, some bad, and today was a bad decision. Maybe Morata should have been on the bench. I made a change because we were losing and I wanted more energy in the attack.



“Obviously there are players who disappointed me, but you can’t expect me to call them out individually. I can’t remember who asked me the question, but with Morata green, raw and has ambition but what’s best is that he wants to make mistakes. Morata might have been better because a player who doesn’t want this that badly, doesn’t want to play. It was cold, rainy and I think we saw the same game, with similar eyes. You guys can criticize the decisions of the manager, but it’s not always the manager that has the responsibility. I honour my responsibilities and nothing else.



“I liked Celta Vigo. I think they deserved to win the match, the result is indicative of what happened. It take much for them to score two goals and the same with the one we scored. Perhaps it was more of a 1-0 game. They scored the second unknowingly and forced us to react, but they were the best team on the field. I think Madrid are the favourites and I think we will win. I’d rather lose here today than in the league.



“We have every chance to pass. We don’t have to win 4-0 or 5-0. We have to win 4-2, 2-0, 1-0. We don’t have to make a historic comeback, we just have to win, but I also know that Celta will put all their cards on the table and try to play their game. I think we can win and our stadium will be more excited than if we had won here. We have to turn the result around and I still think we can win the tie.”


-->

Kaka unsure over Madrid future

Real Madrid forward Kaka is unsure if he will still be at the Bernabeu past January after struggling to force his way into the first team.

The Brazilian playmaker, who cost Los Blancos £56million when he joined from AC Milan in 2009, has suffered from a long-standing knee injury as well as a lack of form.



Kaka has made just one league start this campaign - against Celta Vigo in October - and even then he was replaced at half-time.



On Tuesdy night the 30-year-old made a rare start and was named as captain as Real, who were already assured of a spot in the knockout stages, beat Ajax 4-1.



Kaka scored the third, but his future at the club is unclear with LA Galaxy said to be interested.



Former Galaxy and Real midfielder David Beckham, who played with Kaka at AC Milan, talked up a move for the Brazilian, saying: "We'd welcome any player of his skill and calibre at Galaxy."



However, Kaka, who still has three years left to run on his deal with Real, claims there has been no contact although admits he could soon leave last season's Primera Division champions.



"No, now I have (heard) nothing (from LA Galaxy)," he told Spanish newspaper AS.



"I keep doing my job to stay in Madrid. Then, to see what happens and what the club wants. It's not a comfortable situation for either the club or me.



"I do not know what will happen. I have a contract until 2015.



"The club called me (in the summer) and we did not find a solution. What January? I do not know, I hope to know what the club wants. If they choose a solution, I'm open to talk."


-->

Mourinho 'happiest at Inter'

Jose Mourinho has revealed that Inter Milan was the place that made him the happiest, but says his career would not have been complete without Real Madrid.

The Portuguese manager, 49, left Inter after his side famously defeated Spanish giants Barcelona on their way to their first European Cup title for 45 years.



Despite great success at Porto, Chelsea and Madrid, the man known as 'the Special One' says Inter is the place that gave him the most pleasure.



Since joining Madrid he has guided Los Blancos to their first domestic title since 2008, as well as success in the Copa del Rey and the Supercopa de Espana.



"Inter is the club where I liked most to stay, no one else gave me the same happiness. When I left, I cried more than once, I will belong to the Nerazzurri family forever," said Mourinho.



"I wondered why I left, and now I try to explain it. Friends told me that I could be a great coach, but without working for Real Madrid there would be a hole (in my career).



"It's why I got busy with Florentino Perez, but I always miss Inter."

Modric urges team-mate to join him at Madrid

Luka Modric wants former Spurs team-mate Gareth Bale to join him at Real Madrid next season.

The former Tottenham midfielder wants Bale to play alongside him and Cristiano Ronaldo in a midfield he describes as "unstoppable".

"It would be amazing for Gareth to come and play for Real Madrid," said Modric.

“I play with Ronaldo here at Real and the way he just runs with the ball with such confidence and defenders back off him is exactly the same as Gareth.

"It would be even better than now to have Ronaldo and Bale on the wings for Madrid. And it could make Gareth an even better player. For me, they are the best two wingers in the world.

“To have the both in the same team would be unstoppable.



The 27-year-old Croatian added: "I think he can do it. He is certainly good enough to play at the highest level. I hope he will come to us. He's a top player."

Modric, who joined the Spanish giants at the start of the season in a deal worth £33m, revealed that he and Bale often spoke of playing at a higher level when playing together at White Hart Lane.

“We used to talk and I know he wants to play Champions League football every season and has a big dream of winning the Champions League.

“Madrid would be a great club for him to achieve his dreams."

Bale's form, which has made him one of the most feared players in the Premier League, will make it difficult for Spurs club to hold on to their prize asset and manager Andre Villas-Boas has conceded as much.

"At the moment he is performing extremely well for Spurs and we are amazed at what he can do for us. He is on to a great career," Villas-Boas said.

"Obviously Tottenham as a football club want to keep him here for as long as we can but we understand players like this have propositions and a market which is the nature of the game."