Real Madrid plot to include 22-year-old star in surprise €20m swap deal to sign Cristiano Ronaldo teammate: Reports

With their eyes set on Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal teammate Joao Neves, Real Madrid are planning a surprise €20m swap deal. Spanish outlet Fichajes.net has reported that this move will involve 22-year-old defensive midfielder Eduardo Camavinga.

Neves joined Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) last summer, leaving Benfica for a €60 million fee. The 20-year-old, for his part, has carved out a career as a football prodigy, earning a spot on the Portugal national team at 19 to play alongside Cristiano Ronaldo.

He has also translated the spellbinding form he displayed at Benfica into life at the Parc des Princes, where he has contributed four goals and nine assists from 34 appearances this season. It is unsurprising that he has come on the radar of different clubs in Europe, and now Los Blancos are among the clubs to monitor his status in Paris.

His deal with the Parisians runs until 2029, so it would be impossible for any club to stage advances. But for the Spanish giants, it has all been a bit of an emergency. Since Toni Kroos's retirement, Real Madrid have been trying to find a player that can fill the gap he left back in the squad.

Eduardo Camavinga and others at the club have not truly owned that role in the team, forcing the club to look beyond their players to replace Kroos. The Parisians are set to demand a huge fee for the promising midfielder to be snapped up and signing the 20-year-old will not be easy.

But Real think a deal that involve a swap with Camavinga would be beneficial for PSG this summer.

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Why Cristiano Ronaldo left Real Madrid in 2018

Cristiano completed a move away from Real Madrid after a glittering nine-year spell, cementing himself as the greatest to ever play in the Santiago Bernabeu. In 2018, however, he made the decision to leave and signed for Juventus, shocking the world.

Following the transfer, the legendary striker has since elaborated on why he felt it was time to leave, admitting that he had no longer felt "indispensable" at Valdebebas. He said to France Football in 2019 (via GOAL):

"I felt within the club, especially from the president, that I was no longer considered in the same way as I was at the beginning. For the first four or five years, I felt like Cristiano Ronaldo. Less so after.

"The president looked at me in a way that suggested I was no longer indispensable if you know what I mean. That is what made me think about leaving."

Ronaldo enjoyed a truly remarkable career with Real Madrid. He led them to win four UEFA Champions League trophies, while racking up four Ballon d'Or awards while at the club. He also became the best marksman in their history, recording a mind-boggling 450 goals in 438 appearances.