Zidane and Perez stopped a Madrid star from following in Neymar's footsteps to PSG

PSG looked unstoppable in the summer transfer market, prying away one Barcelona's most prized assets. Real Madrid, however, sold the likes of James Rodriguez and Morata, but were unwilling to let one of their young stars join the French giants.

Up to 35 teams were interested in signing midfielder Marcos Llorente, the host of suitors including Paris Saint-Germain. The Spaniard's fantastic season on loan at Alaves did not go unnoticed, but Neymar finally did not see Llorente follow him in moving from Spain to France.

Zidane repeatedly stated that he was unwilling to let any of his players go. Even though the midfield area is well covered by Modric, Kroos, Kovacic and Casemiro, among others, Llorente is an ideal replacement for the latter. In previous seasons, the Brazilian holding midfielder was the only player in the squad without a natural substitute.

Paris Saint-Germain's frustrated attempts to land Fabinho from Monaco led Emery's side to try to sign 22-year-old Llorente. However, according to 'OK Diario', Zidane was reluctant to allow the departure of one of the most promising young players in his ranks.

Real Madrid chief Florentino Perez also refused to accept the deal. The club's academy product still has room to grow and his market value will also increase in the coming years. For now, he remains a Real Madrid player.