This time, the Premier League club is after Eduardo Camavinga and have put €70 million on the table. Real Madrid rejected the offer as soon as it was received, arguing that Camavinga does not want to leave Madrid and, by equal measure, Real does not want to let Camavinga go.

The French midfielder is key to Ancelotti’s plans and he is expected to end his career in the Spanish capital, if nothing goes wrong. He is destined to be one of Real’s best players over the next decade or so. Camavinga, Fede Valverde and Tchouameni represent the present and future of Real Madrid’s midfield.

Camavinga’s camp is equally uninterested in entertaining offers. The door is well and truly closed, with neither footballer nor club considering a transfer, no matter how much money is offered. At Real almost nobody is indispensable, but it seems that Eduardo is.