Real Madrid at risk of losing captain Sergio Ramos, contract talks on standstill

January is quickly coming to an end and Real Madrid has still been unable to come to an agreement on the contract extension of their captain, Sergio Ramos. While an offer has reportedly been made and rejected, there has been no movement from either side for several weeks. As it stands, it appears as though Los Blancos are willing to risk losing their captain instead of compromising the club's financial stability amid the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic.

Luka Modric is one of three Real Madrid stars who was due for a renewal, and the only one so far who has agreed to the terms offered to him. Meanwhile, Sergio Ramos and Lucas Vazquez have both rejected the club's offers.

Zinedine Zidane has relied heavily on both Ramos and Vazquez in the past season, and it will be a major ripple for the club if both players end up leaving at the end of the season. However, club President Florentino Perez remains steadfast in his decision to prioritise the club's finances over the demands of even the most important players. According to Marca, Real Madrid will be sticking to this policy as long as there is no end in sight to the pandemic.

The club does not want to make changes to the offers that have already been rejected, and the situation remains at a standstill. While the players are now free to talk to other clubs, there has been no real evidence of offers being made by Real Madrid's rivals. After all, the entire football community is affected by the pandemic and most of the bigger teams are already struggling to pay the massive salaries of the stars that they already have.

Clubs like Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus, and several others reportedly have a non-aggression pact that prevents them from making underhanded moves while negotiating player transfers. The pact is also designed to protect clubs from outrageous transfer fees that often result from behind-the-scenes bidding wars.

It remains to be seen if the players or the club will budge in the coming weeks, or if a new party will suddenly come into the picture.