Real Madrid are likely to splash the cash at the end of the season if they miss out on the La Liga title to fierce rivals Barcelona.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s erratic form has prompted cause for concern, while Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema have also struggled for consistency.

Dybala, meanwhile, has flourished at Juventus since his 2015 move from Palermo and is now regarded as one of the best players in Serie A.

And Spanish website Don Balon claim Real Madrid want to sign the Argentina international - but Lionel Messi is doing his best to stop his compatriot from moving to the Bernabeu.

Messi and Dybala play together at international level.

And despite not always striking up the best partnership on the pitch, the duo both have mutual respect for each other.

Messi reportedly views Dybala as a player with the potential to become one of the best players on the planet.

He has seen him in action for Argentina and is impressed by the talent the player possesses.

As a result, Don Balon say Messi is desperate to stop the striker joining Real Madrid as a possible Benzema replacement.

He supposedly thinks the 24-year-old would be a huge Bernabeu hit and would fire Real to silverware aplenty.

Messi has been calling Dybala in a bid to stop him from joining Barcelona’s fiercest rivals.

Yet his cause may not be helped by the fact the player’s days at Juventus appear numbered.

Dybala was recently benched by Old Lady boss Max Allegri - but the Italian has attempted to play down the incident.

"Paulo has played in 38 matches this year, more than a lot of other players, so it's not unusual if sometimes he has been on the bench,” he said.