'Who wouldn't want to keep playing for the world's best club?' - Vazquez wants new Real Madrid contract

Lucas Vazquez is approaching free agency at Real Madrid, but the versatile 29-year-old is looking to land a new contract with "the world's best club".

A move elsewhere for the Spain international has been mooted, with Premier League heavyweights Manchester United and Arsenal said to be among his suitors.

Extension talks have, however, been held at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu and, despite the uncertainty caused by Zinedine Zidane's departure, paperwork may yet be signed in the Spanish capital.

What has been said?

Discussing his future with Movistar, Vazquez said: "I'm calm. Who wouldn't want to keep playing for the world's best club?

"We will know something soon, I can't imagine my life without football."

Learning from the best

Vazquez has spent his entire senior career with Real, taking in 240 appearances for the Liga giants.

He has landed two domestic titles and three Champions League crowns, with a spell with the Blancos allowing him to work alongside all-time greats such as Sergio Ramos and Cristiano Ronaldo.

"Sergio is our main leader and Ronaldo a world-class player," Vazquez added.

"They both give their best in every training session. They way Ramos, Cristiano or [Luka] Modric make you play better is contagious. You learn from them and become a better player every day."

Positional switch

Vazquez started out as a forward with Real but has been moved back to provide reliable cover option at right-back, with Dani Carvajal picking up a number of untimely knocks in that position.

On his versatility, a hard-working part of the Madrid fold said: "I went from being an offensive winger to just a winger.

"Football basically evolved and developed so that every winger played as an inverted winger on opposite flanks and natural wingers like me are hard to find now.

"Until this season I wasn't comfortable playing as a right-back, it was a strange feeling."

Vazquez took in 34 appearances across all competitions in the 2020-21 campaign before seeing his season brought to a close in April by knee ligament damage.