Having seen some recent deals run into heavy weather, Real Madrid have now turned their attentions to FC Porto's versatile midfielder Lucho Gonzalez.
The Real Madrid bosses met earlier this week to discuss alternatives, and the name of Lucho Gonzalez has popped up.
The agent of the player has been in Madrid this week, and held talks with Pedja Mijatovic on Tuesday, Marca have reported.
An official approach has not been made yet, but it is known that the player has a buy-out clause of 25 million euros, and that his registration is shared by Porto and MSI (of Tevez and Mascherano fame).
The player's ability to play on the left, or as a second central midfielder alongside a pivot, is what seems to have attracted Bernd Schuster.
The coach does not want to play two defensive midfielders, and considers the likes of Guti and De la Red as not having enough defensive discipline to hold fort.
The Argentine international is being seen as having the right mix. However, there will be some competition, as Valencia and Lyon are both making a bid for his services.
