Zidane cool on Mbappe to Real Madrid talk

Zinedine Zidane said that Real Madrid's directors know who his transfer targets are but was tight-lipped on whether Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe is one of them. With Gareth Bale rumoured to be on his way out of the Santiago Bernabeu, speculation is rife about potential additions to Los Blancos' strike force and France international Mbappe is frequently linked with a lucrative move to Madrid.

Speaking ahead of his side's clash with Athletic Bilbao, Zidane confirmed he is in talks with his employers about the players he wants to bring in, but refused to shed light on the names on his list. "You can ask and I will answer what I want. I will not get into anything - not names or anything," Zidane told Saturday's news conference.

"I talk to the club about the type of player I want, as I know that perfectly well, but not here." Asked whether he had discussed Bale's future with the club's owners, Zidane replied: "We have not spoken about that, and we are just thinking about tomorrow's game, nothing else."

Madrid go into their clash with Athletic trailing second-placed Atletico Madrid by four points and having won just one of their past three LaLiga matches. Zidane warned that his side's seventh-placed visitors, who beat Rayo Vallecano 3-2 last time out, would make life difficult for Madrid but backed his players to raise their game after a disappointing 1-1 draw at Leganes.

"Lately they have not lost many games and are playing much better than at the start of the season," said Zidane. "A good team, Athletic have always been very difficult to play against, and tomorrow they will make it tough. But it's a good game for us to play well, play better. "We have six games left to move this forward. We must play better before the season ends, to play well would be good for everyone. But in training we are getting better each week, and tomorrow we will try and show that on the pitch."