Real Madrid's road to Neymar Real Madrid Just how can they sign the Brazilian?

When the Premier League transfer window having closed on Thursday evening, and with Paul Pogba now almost impossible for Real Madrid to sign, the Spanish club have turned their sights towards Neymar.

Pogba had been the primary target for Zinedine Zidane this summer, yet Manchester United didn't agree to a deal.

With the European transfer window remaining open until September, there is time for a deal to be done with Paris Saint-Germain for the wantaway Brazilian forward, however challenging a process that may be.

Florentino Perez, until now, had elected to refrain from making any kind of movement towards Neymar, mainly to fulfil one of the promises he made to Zidane as a condition for the coach's return.

Pogba's arrival was something Perez had agreed to do everything possible to try to facilitate and Los Blancos kept going until the final day of the Premier League transfer window, but Manchester United wouldn't accept any deal.

The reality is that Perez could have given up on this pursuit weeks ago, with the English giants never seriously interested in negotiating.

Pogba's transfer was impossible and this is what the hierarchy at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu want Zidane to appreciate, with the club taking a radical turn by now focusing on Neymar.

The priority for the remainder of the window is a forward, especially after Marco Asensio's injury left the club light in that area.

Los Merengues have been of the opinion that the team has lacked a big star for some time, but until Thursday the club were bound by their promise to Zidane to only work on signing Pogba.

Now that this possibility is gone, Neymar is a realistic signing that those in power behind the scenes will look to complete.

One thing that favours Real Madrid is that Neymar's priority isn't to re-join Barcelona, but rather to leave PSG.

Perez has cultivated a strong relationship between the two clubs, something which can't be said of the Blaugrana and their Parisian rivals.

PSG want to recoup the 222 million euros paid for the former Santos prodigy, and want half of that paid in cash at a minimum.

Following that, Leonardo would be required to accept an exchange of at least one player in order to increase the overall value of the operation.

This is where Real Madrid have an ace in the pack, as they have far more attractive players to offer than Barcelona do.

Gareth Bale and Keylor Navas could be utilised to help break the deadlock.

PSG have also been interested in Casemiro for some time, although Real Madrid wouldn't want to give him up.

There's a long way to go, but Real Madrid have a new objective and that is the signing of Neymar.