United and Chelsea Battle For Sergio Ramos

News emerging from Spain is suggesting that Sergio Ramos is looking to leave Real Madrid and play for a club outside of Spain. The 29-year-old is under contract with Real Madrid until 2017, and could end his decade long collaboration with Real and start looking for a new challenge.

The defender has over 120 caps for Spain and has an official buyout clause of €180m (£128m) - a fee which will certainly not be met by any club. However it is thought that both Chelsea and Manchester United believe they can tempt the club by offering around £30m.

Manchester United have responded to Real Madrid’s initial bid of £13m for David de Gea by telling the Spanish club they won't accept anything less than £25m, unless a player is involved in the deal. Madrid are convinced they will eventually sign De Gea, and it seems United might be holding out for Los Blancos to involve Ramos in a potential deal.

The central defender joined Madrid from Sevilla for €27m when he was still a teenager. He has appeared over 400 times for the club, and is the vice-captain. However, negotiations over a new contract have stalled and there is no real indication as to whether or not he will sign a new deal.

The Spaniard is said to be one of Mourinho’s favorites from his time as Real Madrid manager, and the Portuguese man is now set to test Real's resolve with a bid for Ramos. Chelsea would be in with a real chance of signing Ramos due to Mourinho's relationship with the player, their Championship status would also attract the World Cup winning defender.

But it must be said that the lure of Manchester United speaks volumes more than that of Chelsea's. If Ramos joined, he would become yet another Spanish player in the squad, in a list that is slowly growing.

Real are known for having little respect for their star players especially after they reach a certain age. No big player has ended his professional career at Santiago Bernabeu if you consider the club’s recent history. Ramos could follow in the footsteps of players like Roberto Carlos and Raul who moved away without being offered the option of finishing their brilliant runs on the pitch where they played the most.

Written by: Niven Marston