Exequiel Palacios is a “Real Madrid-style player” according to River Plate team-mate Leonardo Ponzio.
The midfielder is a long-time target of Madrid, and this week River’s president Rodolfo D’Onofrio confirmed that the European champions have enquired about bringing the Argentina international to the Santiago Bernabeu.
Madrid had hoped to bring the player in as early as January, but Palacios’s agent Renato Corsi has said it is his client’s preference to remain in Argentina with River until at least the summer.
Editors' Picks
Corsi also suggested that Real will have to pay significantly more than the €15 million (£13.