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​Real Madrid have confirmed that full-back Alvaro Odriozola has been diagnosed with a fracture of the left clavicle, amid concerns that the injury will rule him out for the rest of the season.

The 23-year-old has featured heavily in his first full season with Los Blancos, making 14 appearances in La Liga since arriving from fellow Spanish side Real Sociedad last summer.

However, Real have now revealed via their ​official club website, that ‘following tests carried out today on Alvaro Odriozola by the Real Madrid Medical Services, he’s been diagnosed with a fracture of his left clavicle. His recovery will be monitored.’

According to Spanish publication ​AS, Odriozola is expected to be out for the remainder of the season, after breaking his collarbone in a training ground accident involving teammate Vinicius Junior.

The 23-year-old was said to have fell awkwardly after a challenge with the Brazilian winger, and tests have now revealed the full extent of the damage suffered.

Odriozola has been a regular starter under newly reappointed Zinedine Zidane, playing the full 90 minutes on four occasions for the Frenchman. 

However, Dani Carvajal’s own return from injury meant that Odriozola started the previous game against Leganes on the bench, with the expectation that the former will now reclaim his place in the first-team.

Having joined Sociedad’s youth set-up as a ten-year-old, Odriozola made his first-team debut for the club in a 2-0 win away at Malaga in ​La Liga.

After two seasons with the side, ​Madrid signed the full-back for a fee in the region of €30m last summer, and had enjoyed a fine debut campaign.

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​Former Real Madrid manager Fabio Capello has given weight to the speculation surrounding the club’s ridiculous transfer budget for next season, claiming they have set aside an incredible €500m to spend on renovating the playing squad.

After a dreadful season that saw both Julen Lopetegui and Santiago Solari come and go, the  club will finish the campaign with no silverware, and have re-appointed Zinedine Zidane just ten months after he walked out of the job.

One of the factors thought to have convinced the Frenchman, who famously won three consecutive Champions Leagues in his first spell, to return is the club’s ambitious transfer plans, and rumours surrounding who they might move for and how much they will spend have gone into overdrive.

In one of the more concrete updates we have seen on the situation, Capello confirmed via Sky Sports Italia (as quoted in ​The Mirror) that they will indeed be spending big. 

“I was in Barcelona and I was told that this year ​Real Madrid have €500m to spend,” the former England boss said. “I asked, ‘Are you sure?’ The answer was yes and that came from someone who knows a lot about Real Madrid.”

Capello’s word likely carries a lot of weight at Real. While not quite a legendary figure, he had two brief spells with the club in 1996-97 and 2006-07, winning ​La Liga on both occasions. 

If his word is to be believed, then, the pressing question is which players the budget will be spent on. The club have been linked with moves for Eden Hazard, Sadio Mane, Paul Pogba and a ​host of other players to the point that it is almost beyond parody. 

It’s also expected that their budget will be supplemented with the fees raised for outgoing players. ​Gareth Bale is widely expected to leave, while Toni Kroos and Raphael Varane are among a number of current first team stars who have been linked with moves away. 

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​Real Madrid welcome Athletic Bilbao to the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday, knowing they could be trailing second placed Atletico Madrid by as many as seven points by kickoff.

With the league title long gone, Madrid will want to finish as high as possible to end a disappointing season on a positive note – although Monday night’s draw against Leganes hasn’t helped their case. 

Fans are unhappy with the prospect at finishing behind both bitter rivals Atletico Madrid and Barcelona, but it will take a strong end to the season – with just six games remaining – to avoid the third spot on the podium. 

While Madrid haven’t got much but pride to play for, Gaizka Garitano’s men are chasing a Europa League spot, sitting three points behind sixth-placed Valencia and six from an unlikely Champions League spot, currently occupied by Sevilla. 

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Where to Watch

When Is Kick Off?	Sunday 21 April
What Time Is Kick Off?	15:15 (BST)
Where Is it Being Played?	Santiago Bernabeu
TV Channel/Live Stream?	Eleven Sports 1
Referee?	Mario Melero Lopez

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Team News

Real have a handful of question marks coming into the weekend, with Thibaut Courtois still not fully fit and Vinicius Junior out since the beginning of March with a knee injury. Mariano has tendinitis and Sergio Ramos tweaked his hamstring in training, while ​Toni Kroos missed Madrid’s last game after suffering a bout of gastroenteritis.

Courtois, Vinicius and ​Ramos stepped up their recoveries in individual training session this week, and have an outside chance of featuring on Sunday, but Kroos and Mariano are unlikely to make the matchday squad. 

Mikel Rico (ankle), Ibai Gomez (ankle) and Ander Capa (muscle) have been ruled out by Garitano.

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Predicted Lineups

Real Madrid	Navas; Carvajal, Varane, Nacho, Marcelo; Casemiro, Modric, Ceballos; Isco, ​Benzema, Asensio.
Athletic Bilbao	Herrerin; de Marcos, Martinez, Alvarez, Yuri; D. Garcia, San Jose; Susaeta, Muniain, R. Garcia; Williams.

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Head to Head Record

The last three matches between the sides have been draws, ​Isco the hero (for a given value of ‘hero’) when they last met in September, snatching a point for Los Blancos after Iker Muniain put Bilbao ahead.

Los Leones haven’t beaten Real since March 2015 though, and are without a win at the Bernabeu in 14 years. There have been nine draws between the teams, ​Madrid have won 34 and Bilbao have triumphed on 12 occasions. 

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Recent Form

Since being humbled by Barcelona and humiliated by Ajax, Madrid ​have won four out of six games.

The draw in their last match, against Leganes, was their first in the ​league since January, while defeat to Valencia was Zidane’s only loss since his surprise return to the Bernabeu. 

Despite an upturn in form, Madrid have only kept one clean sheet since Zidane returned – while the visitors are on a great run at the moment, winning four out of the last five games as they push for the final Europa League spot. 

Recent losses to Getafe and Valencia, the two other sides in the hunt for a place in Europe’s second most prestigious competition, could prove damaging but there are still 18 points up for grabs.

Here’s how each side has fared in their last five matches.

Real Madrid	Athletic Bilbao
Leganes 1-1 Real Madrid (15/04)	Athletic Bilbao 3-2 Real Vallecano (14/04)
Real Madrid 2-1 Eibar (06/04)	Getafe 1-0 Athletic Bilbao (07/04)
Valencia 2-1 Real Madrid (03/04)	Athletic Bilbao 3-2 Levante (03/04)
Real Madrid 3-2 Huesca (31/03)	Girona 1-2 Athletic Bilbao (29/03)
Real Madrid 2-0 Celta Vigo (16/03)	Athletic Bilbao 2-0 Atletico Madrid (16/03)

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Prediction

Madrid are capable of beating anyone on their day, but those days have been few and far between this season. Athletic’s recent consistency does hint that, despite their poor record at the Bernabeu in the last decade, they could grab something on Sunday. 

Prediction: Real Madrid 3-2 Athletic Bilbao.

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We’re at the semi final stage of the Champions League, and neither Zinedine Zidane or Cristiano Ronaldo are anywhere to be seen. Come again?

It does really feel like the start of something new, as Real Madrid’s vice grip on the trophy comes to its merciful end. Gone, perhaps, are the days of the same rotation of four or five teams making the semi-finals, year after year after year.

Since few of the tournament’s favourites have any hope of lifting the trophy, then, we thought we’d at least give them something to fight for. Who has been the most disappointing in the Champions League this season?

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8. Atletico Madrid

​After bloodying the nose of one of the tournament’s favourites​ in the first leg of their last-16 tie, securing a 2-0 victory over ​Juventus, Atletico built on an impressive group campaign, and made an statement about their intentions in European football this season. 

And then Ronaldo showed up in the second leg and sent them home in time for dinner. 

By no means a disastrous campaign, but the submissive manner in which they crashed out after an exciting start means they edge into the periphery of this list. 

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7. Borussia Dortmund

​It’s difficult to be too harsh on Dortmund, considering how they stormed their group with four wins and a single defeat. Especially since ​Tottenham – who knocked them out in the round of 16 – have just made the semi-finals. 

In truth, however, we expected a little more from the side who won the Bundesliga before Christmas, but now sit in second place. ​It looked as if Spurs had drawn a very difficult tie at first, but they made such short work of the esteemed Germans over two legs that they may as well have been playing Huddersfield. 

A 3-0 win at Wembley in the first leg preceded a 1-0 victory courtesy of a Harry Kane strike at Westfalenstadion, and now they look to have chucked the Bundesliga, it looks set to be a disappointing season all round for Lucien Favre’s men. Well, sort of. 

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6. Napoli

Few expected Napoli to go the distance in the Champions League this season, especially after landing in the group of death with Liverpool and Paris Saint-German, but given how impressive they’ve been domestically under Carlo Ancelotti, you can’t help but be slightly underwhelmed by their showing.

Many will point to their narrow defeat at Anfield – which in itself wasn’t a horrific result considering Liverpool’s home form of late – as the reason behind their demise, but all in, they only managed to win two of their six matches (one of which at home to Red Star Belgrade) and bowed out in third place. 

Yes, Arkadiusz Milik could have sent them through at the death against the Reds, but he was bested by the human door that is Alisson Becker, and he didn’t. What’s more, they look in perilous danger of meeting a similar fate against Arsenal in the Europa League quarter-finals on Thursday. 

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5. Bayern Munich

It’s worth noting that ​Bayern, by all means, actually had a pretty good Champions League campaign before coming up against Liverpool in the round of 16. They went undefeated in the group stage, and after a 0-0 draw at Anfield came amid the beginning of their domestic revival,  the suggestion was that there could be life in the old dog(s) yet. 

It wasn’t to be, however. Coming up against their old foe in Jurgen Klopp and his formidable Liverpool side, they fell some way short in Bavaria, losing 3-1, and it became abundantly clear that some regeneration is needed if they are to return to European glory. 

To that end, they’ve already started. Benjamin Pavard and Lucas Hernandez have already signed, and are expected to be the first of many new arrivals for FC Hollywood over the coming months. 

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4. Real Madrid

​It speaks volumes about how poor a season it has been all-round for Real Madrid that the winners of the last three Champions Leagues crashed out in the last 16, and still haven’t been anywhere near the biggest disappointment. 

By their own high standards, their defeat to Ajax was catastrophic. To the rest of us who live in the real world, it was surprising, but it had been coming, given how far they had fallen since Zidane’s summer departure. 

Still, they were very disappointing, and deserved no better than they got. 

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 3. Manchester City

​Even with Spurs winning 1-0 from the first leg, no-one really expected City to go out. Not with 90 minutes still to play at the Etihad. ​And when Raheem Sterling struck on four minutes of the second leg, it seemed like order would be restored, and Pep Guardiola’s team of genetically perfect robots would bulldoze their way to their 500th win of the season. 

The tide would go on to change a further three times before Spurs eventually lost 4-3 and advanced on away goals, but for City, the end result was the same; disappointment in Europe at the hands of an English side. 

It was an especially tough one to take for Guardiola’s side, because it was supposed to be the year in which they pressed on and realised their European ambitions after two record-breaking domestic seasons, but it wasn’t to be, as they fell short on the big stage again.

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2. Paris Saint-Germain

​The peculiar case of PSG consistently failing in the Champions League despite spending more money than anyone else rolls onto yet another season. We’re not angry, we’re just disappointed. 

They seem to be terrified of progress past the round of 16. Two years ago they chucked a four goal lead from the first leg against Barcelona, last year they were bodied by Real Madrid, and this​ time around they lost 3-1 at home after a 2-0 victory at Old Trafford to once again bow out at the first knockout stage.

They’re embarrassingly poor at the first sign of pressure, and their predictable track record for bottling it is the only reason they’re not ranking first. 

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1. Juventus

Juventus spent north of £100m to land Cristiano ‘Mr. Champions League’ Ronaldo, in the summer, and couldn’t even make the semi-finals with a favourable couple of draws. 

No disrespect to Atletico Madrid or Ajax – they’re both tidy sides capable of beating anyone on their day – but a team with Juve’s aspirations, pedigree and personnel should be able to negotiate that run to the last four. 

They were bailed out by Ronaldo in the last 16, as he scored a hat trick in the second leg to overcome a 2-0 deficit, and despite him netting a further two against Ajax over both legs, they find themselves out of the competition. Realistically, what more do they need before they actually begin to show it on the big stage? Is Aaron Ramsey the catalyst to take them to the next level? He’s good, but we doubt it.

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​Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane is said to be ‘finally tired’ of Gareth Bale and instructed Los Blancos to sell the Welsh winger, formerly the world’s most expensive player at €100m.

Bale’s Real future has been the subject of continued speculation, even more so since Zidane returned to the club last month as a result of the rumours that their relationship had been strained during the Frenchman’s first spell in charge.

Bale, who will celebrate his 30th birthday in July, has only started three of the five La Liga games Zidane has taken charge of so far, although Real have actually won all three of those and failed to pick up maximum points in the other two.

According to The Independent, Zidane wants the club to move Bale on, even if it means losing money on the initial investment. It is said that Zidane’s ongoing frustrations over Bale’s fitness is the reason he is planning a future without the four-time Champions League winner.

Zidane had apparently earmarked Bale for sale last summer, only to then resign himself. The report also notes how the former Tottenham star also enjoyed protection from Bernabeu president Florentino Perez, alleged special treatment which has apparently now ended.

This is not the first such report on Bale’s time in Madrid coming to an end.

Earlier this month, it was alleged by Spanish outlet AS that Real had informed Bale’s agent, Jonathan Barnett, of their intention to sell his client this summer. But as a display of gratitude for a professional attitude and good behaviour since arriving, the player himself would be allowed to choose his next club, as long as the offers on the table are more or less the same.

It was then subsequently reported that Real would begin by asking for €130m. That figure would actually see Los Blancos net a €30m profit, although it was also claimed in the same report that Real are aware the price might have to drop to secure a sale.

It remains to be seen where Bale could go next season if he does leave Real. Interest from Manchester United appears to have finally dried up after it became apparent that the club is primarily seeking younger domestic talents in the market.

It has previously been said in certain quarters that Bale would be open to a return to Tottenham, although a big transfer fee and high wages could put his old employers off.

No other Premier League club appears to be a suitable or likely destination – perhaps Chelsea could emerge, but only if a two-window transfer ban is to be rescinded on appeal. Elsewhere, an ambitious Inter might show interest, but the overall options for Bale appear somewhat limited.

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​Real Madrid have been tipped to test Chelsea’s resolve to keep Eden Hazard by tabling an opening bid for the Belgian superstar, but there are conflicting reports on the subject of Los Blancos’ rumoured interest in Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba.

An expensive summer overhaul at the Bernabeu is rumoured to have been one of the conditions laid out when Zinedine Zidane returned as manager last month.

Hazard has been a long-term target for the reigning European champions, and speculation that he could leave Stamford Bridge has only increased after Chelsea failed to agree a new contract to extend his current deal beyond 2020.

According to The Sun, an opening offer of £85m (€98m) for Hazard is coming from Madrid, and it’s claimed that an ‘official bid’ will be made this week. ​Marca even claims a deal could potentially be ‘finalised in the coming days’ to make the 28-year-old Real’s third summer signing already.

Assuming the clubs can agree on a formal fee, Hazard will apparently be offered a six-year contract to make the move to the Spanish capital, where he would reunite with friend and international colleague Thibaut Courtois, who completed the same transfer last year.

Hazard’s expiring contract puts Chelsea in a difficult position, with the club forced to sell this summer in order to avoid losing their most valuable asset as a free agent in a year’s time.

But Real may not stop at pinching just Hazard from the Premier League, as The Sun also claims that a sub-par performance against Barcelona in the Champions League this week hasn’t dampened interest in Paul Pogba, with Real even ‘accelerating their pursuit’.

The Sun’s gossip is that Zidane believes he can get the best out of his inconsistent countryman, with Pogba apparently seen as the ‘right man to build the midfield around’.

However, a conflicting report from Marca notes that while Pogba and agent Mino Raiola are ‘happy’ for a deal to go ahead, Real view the €150m (£130m) starting price as ‘excessive’ and simply ‘don’t share the enthusiasm’ for Pogba that they have for Hazard.

Certainly, as far as Manchester United are concerned, the stance is that Pogba is not for sale.

“There might be a campaign, there might be press, you never know what there is. In my talks with Paul he has always been positive here and I don’t see a difference in him when I chat to him,” United manager Ole Gunnar Solskajer said on the matter last week.

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​Mateo Kovacic is in talks with Zenit Saint Petersburg over a potential summer move from Real Madrid, as Zinedine Zidane looks to raise funds for a summer squad overhaul.

The 24-year-old has spent this season on loan with Chelsea after Real deemed him surplus to requirements, but the Blues have no option to sign him permanently. With their two-window transfer ban approaching, Kovacic’s future seems unclear.

Given the ​Blues look set to be unable to sign ​Kovacic permanently, the ​Daily Mail claim his representatives have opened talks with Zenit as they look to find the midfielder’s next move.

Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri has recently ​spoken of his desire for the club to try make Kovacic’s loan deal permanent, but their impending transfer ban will throw a spanner in the works.

As it stands, Chelsea will be unable to sign players in the next two transfer windows, although they are hoping to either delay or overturn that punishment after an appeal.

Even if they are granted this summer’s transfer window to sign players, there remains some uncertainty over whether Kovacic would be signed. Sarri may have expressed his wish, but the Italian is also facing a potential exit from Stamford Bridge after struggling to win over a large part of the fan base.

Zidane is eager to sell Kovacic this summer as he sees no long-term future for the Croatia international at ​Real. He is keen to raise funds to sign the likes of ​Eden Hazard and ​Paul Pogba, and sees Kovacic as an easy way of generating some extra money.

But, with Chelsea potentially unable to complete the deal, Zenit have now expressed their interest in Kovacic, and are in the process of negotiating a deal with the midfielder’s agents.

He has made 43 appearances for the Blues this season, often rotating with ​Ross Barkley for one of Sarri’s three midfield spots. However, the emergence of ​Ruben Loftus-Cheek has left many fans calling for Kovacic to leave the club, and they may soon get their wish.

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​Liverpool winger Mohamed Salah has asked the club to sell him at the end of the season – at least according to a report from Madrid daily AS.

The Egyptian has enjoyed another successful campaign with the Reds, but endured a challenging goalless run between February and April which saw him become the subject of countless taunts from rival fans.

News of his demand comes from ​AS, who claim that ​Salah met with manager Jurgen Klopp to ask for a transfer at the end of the season, citing a long-standing feud with the German as the reason for his decision.

He is said to have been so determined to get his wish, that he was prepared to submit an official transfer request to force a move. However, ​Liverpool gave into him and told him they will arrange a transfer this summer if he still feels the same way, ensuring his market value remains as high as possible.

This latest development could come as a huge boost to ​Real Madrid, who expressed an interest in Salah last summer after his stunning ​Premier League campaign. They failed in their attempts to sign the 26-year-old, but could move again if he becomes available.

Soon after the reports emerged, Salah’s agent responded to the report on Twitter with quite the response – hinting that the story was rubbish.

Talking out of their AS again I see.

— Ramy Abbas Issa (@RamyCol) April 17, 2019

Real Madrid are however set to be busy over the summer months. Zinedine Zidane has prioritised other signings this summer, such as ​Chelsea’s ​Eden Hazard, but the opportunity to sign Salah could prove too good to turn down if there is actually any truth to the claims.

This season, Salah has managed 22 goals and ten assists in 45 appearances for Liverpool. He currently sits joint top of the Premier League scoring charts.

Yet, many have been left underwhelmed by his performances at times, largely due to the high standards he set for himself last year.

No player has scored more goals in the Premier League this season than Mohamed Salah.

He’s now level on 19 with Sergio Agüero.  https://t.co/BEMGPb0kDE

— Squawka Football (@Squawka) April 14, 2019

With Real looking for a blockbuster signing to help them bounce back from their challenging season, Salah could be the perfect solution. However, last season’s Player of the Year would certainly not come cheap, and Liverpool would likely want a significant profit from their £34m investment in 2017.

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​Real Madrid have confirmed that Mariano Diaz has been diagnosed with tendinitis in his right adductor, although no timescale has been placed as to how long he will be out for.

The striker has predominantly featured off the bench for Madrid this season as a back-up for Karim Benzema, and has seen his long-term future at the club called into question.

Now, in a statement posted on the ​club’s official website, it said: “after tests were carried out on our player Mariano by Real Madrid’s Medical Services, he has been diagnosed with tendinitis in the right adductor. The player’s situation will continue to be monitored.”

Having been a part of ​Real Madrid’s youth teams, Mariano joined French side Lyon in the summer of 2017 for a fee in the region of €8m.

The Dominican Republic international scored 18 times in the league during that season, forming a potent trio alongside fellow forwards Memphis Depay and Nabil Fekir.

18 – Karim Benzema has scored in the last three La Liga seasons (included this) as many goals as Mariano Díaz for @OL in Ligue 1 last season (18 goals). Confirmed pic.twitter.com/ygu2yWOvNE

— OptaJose (@OptaJose) August 29, 2018

After the breakout season with Lyon, Madrid opted to re-sign the 25-year-old last summer for around €23m on a five-year contract, and was promptly given the number seven shirt worn by the departed Cristiano Ronaldo.

With just two goals in 17 games across all competitions this season, Mariano’s future at Madrid is unclear, with Zinedine Zidane’s return as manager coinciding with the striker featuring in just 30 minutes of football under the Frenchman. 

Having been left out of Los Blancos’ squad for the last two games against Eibar and Leganes, it remains to be seen whether Mariano has already played in his last game for ​La Liga giants. 

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​With every passing minute, we move closer and closer to the opening of the summer transfer window, and the rumours and merry-go-rounds that will inevitably follow.

Some of Europe’s biggest stars could be on the move in just a matter of weeks, but there are plenty of juicy rumours to keep you going until the window opens.

Here are five stories for you to keep an eye on.

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Arsenal to Activate Buy-Back Clause for Ismael Bennacer as Napoli Lodge €16m Bid

If you’re an ​Arsenal fan who has never heard of Ismael Bennacer, chances are you’re not alone. The Algerian midfielder made just one appearance for the club in a League Cup fixture in 2015, before being shipped off to Empoli for what feels like pocket change in 2017.

However, according to ​Le 10 Sport, the Gunners inserted a buy-back clause in the deal, and they could look to activate that and bring the 21-year-old back to the Emirates Stadium this summer.

​Napoli are said to have already submitted a €16m bid for Bennacer, who has enjoyed an impressive debut season in the ​Serie A, so Unai Emery might have to act fast if he wants to win this race.

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AC Milan Not Giving Up on Yannick Carrasco

​In January, ​AC Milan‘s pursuit of Dalian Yifang winger Yannick Carrasco dominated headlines in Italy. They simply couldn’t pry him away from the Chinese Super League side, but they’re ready to try again.

​Calciomercato claim that Milan chiefs met to discuss summer transfer targets, and Carrasco’s name cropped up again and again. They still want the former ​Atletico Madrid man, but perhaps only if they cannot land other targets.

​Everton‘s ​Richarlison and ​Watford‘s Gerard Deulofeu are said to top their wish list, but Carrasco is their backup option. The ​Premier League sides will likely put up a fight to keep their stars, meaning the Rossoneri could be forced towards Carrasco.

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Real Madrid Want Former Barcelona Wonderkid Alex Grimaldo

​Real Madrid have found themselves linked to every player under the sun in recent weeks as Zinedine Zidane plots a huge squad overhaul. One man linked with the club in Benfica wonderkid Alex Grimaldo, and this story may have some legs.

News of Los Blancos’ interest comes from The Sun (via ​Marca), who state that they want the former ​Barcelona starlet to replace ​Marcelo, who could be on his way to ​Juventus.

Will Real fans overlook his time with Barcelona? Will the Blaugrana faithful ever forgive him for turning out for their arch rivals? Grab a cup of tea, this could be an interesting one.

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Man Utd Ready to Reignite Interest in Roma Star Kostas Manolas

​Manchester United have been linked with Kostas Manolas for what feels like an eternity but, just as the rumours began to disappear, they have come back in full force.

It looked as though they had moved on from the Roma man, with the likes of Kalidou Koulibaly and ​Toby Alderweireld on their shopping list, but Leggo claim Manolas’ £31m release clause is just too good for the Red Devils to turn down.

Manolas has been one of the Serie A’s top defenders in recent years, so £31m looks like an absolute steal in today’s market. After all, that’s less than ​Chelsea paid for ​Danny Drinkwater, and just look how well that has worked out.

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Leroy Sane Frustrated With Man City Role as Bayern & Juventus Ready Bids

Given ​Manchester City have what feels like 40,000 star forwards, you can understand how one of those players could grow frustrated with a lack of first-team action. Unfortunately for the Citizens, it looks like that’s exactly what has happened to Leroy Sane.

According to ​TEAMtalk, the German is less than impressed by his rapidly decreasing standing in Pep Guardiola’s squad. He has started just seven of the last 18 games, featuring in cup ties against the likes of Newport County and ​Swansea City, and it seems he has had enough.

Those around Sane believe that, if the 23-year-old tries to force an exit, Juventus and ​Bayern Munich would be incredibly keen to sign him. He almost certainly would not come cheap, but that rarely seems to matter these days.

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