Real Madrid made a shock bid to sign Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic in the summer, according to reports.
Rakitic is currently in his third season at the Nou Camp after signing from Sevilla in 2014.
He is one of the first names on manager Luis Enrique’s team-sheet alongside the likes of Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets in the heart of the Catalan giants’ midfield.
But, according to Mundo Deportivo, Madrid enquired about bringing Rakitic to the Santiago Bernabeu.
However, Enrique blocked the move despite shelling out big money on the likes of Denis Suarez and Andre Gomes.
No player has moved directly between the two rivals since Luis Figo back in 2000.
Madrid have been bolstered in the race to sign Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang after the player admitted he would like to move to the Spanish capital one day.
Aubameyang is regarded as one of the best strikers on the planet having scored 39 goals in 49 games for Dortmund last season.
The Gabon international was in talks with Manchester City over a summer transfer but a move to the Etihad Stadium failed to materialise.
However, Aubameyang has revealed it is his dream to one day play for Madrid - and he promised his grandfather he would make it happen.
“Madrid is the club of my heart and I promised my grandfather I would play for Real one day,” he told told Onze Mondial.
”It is a goal, I still have time.
“I do not mean to provoke interest, if Madrid want me they can come and get me, but so far they have not done so - unfortunately.”
Striker Alvaro Morata has admitted he is concerned by Madrid’s current winless run.
The Spanish giants drew 1-1 with Eibar on Sunday, meaning they are yet to win any of their last four games.
And Morata has admitted he is lost for words when it comes to explaining their current troubles.
"It's clear something's not right," the 23-year-old told Spanish radio station Cadena SER.
"We need to be united as a team and fight all for one and one for all.
"If you look at Madrid individually, there are some very good players, but when we have played as one, as a team, people say we have the best squad in the world.
"We have to look to see what's going wrong. I don't know if it's a lack of intensity, but it's better to find out what's going wrong now rather than later."