Carlo Ancelotti has reportedly requested for Real Madrid to sign AC Milan's Rafael Leao and Napoli's Victor Osimhen in the January transfer window.
With 2022 Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema turning 35 next month, Los Blancos are expected to delve into the transfer market in the New Year after failing to lure Kylian Mbappe away from Paris Saint-Germain.
Ancelotti recently ruled out the prospect of bolstering his squad in January, telling reporters at the end of last month: "We're not thinking about the winter window. We're not interested in it. This is the squad we'll have until the end of the season. It won't change."
However, according to Sport, via the Daily Mail, the Italian manager has pleaded with Real Madrid president Florentino Perez to recruit both Leao and Osimhen when the transfer window re-opens.
Leao, 23, has been a standout performer for Milan over the last 18 months and was named Serie A Player of the Season in 2021-22 after recording 11 goals and 10 assists for the Scudetto champions.
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The Portugal international has since notched up six goals and nine assists in 19 appearances across all competitions this campaign and his impressive performances are believed to have caught the eye of a number of top European clubs.
Ancelotti is said to have earmarked Leao as one of his primary targets, but Real Madrid could face competition from Premier League duo Chelsea and Manchester City.
Leao will see his contract at San Siro expire in June 2024, and talks over an extension have allegedly broken down after the forward decided to change his agent.
It is thought that Milan will request a nine-figure sum for Leao should they decide to sell the forward, and a recent report claims that the Italian giants are bracing themselves for whopping €120m (£105m) offers from both Chelsea and Man City in January.
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Meanwhile, Osimhen is also on Ancelotti's radar after establishing himself as Napoli's star striker since joining the club from Lille in 2020.
The 23-year-old has contributed with 37 goals and 12 assists in 75 appearances for the current Serie A leaders, including nine goals and three assists in 13 games this season.
Osimhen is also attracting interest from the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, but the Nigerian's agent Roberto Calenda has played down suggestions that his client is seeking to move away from Napoli.
"Whoever talked about a departure (over the summer) made a mistake. It was Victor's will to stay at Napoli and play the Champions League that he won entry to last year together with his teammates," Calenda told Radio Kiss Kiss. "Victor wanted exactly that, to have a great year with Napoli, between the league and the Champions League.
"He has a long contract with the Azzurri. The market is dynamic, but our will is to continue at Napoli and continue to do well."
Osimhen is under contract at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium until the summer of 2025, and Napoli are thought to value the striker in excess of the £70m that they splashed out to sign him two years ago.
Oliver Thomas
