Kaká edging ever closer to Real Madrid departure

Kaká will not play in Real Madrid’s friendly against Oviedo on Tuesday, the defending Spanish champions’ first pre-season game.

The decision to leave out Kaká appears to have been taken at the last minute as he was included on the 23-man squad list published on the club’s website early on Tuesday morning.

The absence of the Brazilian, who trained yesterday and didn’t suffer any injuries, could be related to the conversation between the player and José Mourinho on Monday at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium.

It is understood that the Portuguese coach made it clear that Kaká will not be a regular starter this season – and the best thing for him would be to look for a new club.

The message was very different to last summer, when, at around the same time, Kaká was told he was starting with a fresh slate and the club were counting on him. The slate hasn’t been wiped clean this season. He’ll be starting on the bench and is being asked to leave. At the same time, Madrid won’t consider selling him for less than €25m.

Madrid bought the Brazilian in the summer of 2009 for €67m. He earns €9m a season and still has three years left on his contract.

Since joining from AC Milan, he has failed to reach the level of 2007, when he won the Ballon d’Or, with his constant injuries preventing him from making a significant impact in Madrid.

His €9m salary makes his departure, on which the signing of Tottenham’s Luka Modric is dependent, somewhat complicated.

Paris Saint-Germain have already spent €62m on Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva. Milan say they have no money and China isn’t a destination for a Brazilian Ballon d’Or winner.

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Read more on: Football transfers, José Mourinho, kaka, La Liga, Real Madrid.