Ramires is Ancelotti's man

Of all the central midfielders the Real Madrid coaching staff are considering, Ramires is top of Ancelotti's list. Despite the fact that Mourinho has made it clear the Brazilian midfielder isn't for sale, the Italian coach has asked his club to do what they can.

As a result, Real Madrid are following the player closely in the world cup. However, Ramires has fans and detractors alike. And, in the two games played so far, the Brazilian hasn't made much of an impression. He started on the bench in Brazil's opener against Croatia and was taken off after the break in the second match against Mexico.

Nevertheless, Ancelotti believes Ramires, or a similar player, is vital to strengthen the midfield at Real. Another name that has been mentioned is that of Verratti, but Ancelotti hasn't shown much interest even though he knows the player well, having coached him at PSG.

By contrast, Verratti has performed well for Italy but PSG is not willing to let any of its key players go.