Real Madrid defender Marcelo reportedly hopes to join back up with former team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo at Juventus and is said to want a transfer "at the next possible chance," hinting a winter exit could be in the offing.

El Confidencial (h/t Calciomercato.com) reported Marcelo and Ronaldo had a very close relationship in Madrid, while it's also mentioned the Brazilian's failure to hit it off with new manager Julen Lopetegui is a factor in his decision.

Marcelo joined Los Blancos from Brazilian club Fluminense in 2007, two years before Ronaldo's arrival from Manchester United.

Broadcaster Lexis Bill remarked upon the eerily subpar beginnings that each player has made to their seasons so far, suggesting both are suffering from a lack of their usual synchronicity alongside one another:

Ronaldo joined Juve in the summer for £100 million to become their record signing, having won four UEFA Champions League titles, two La Liga crowns, three FIFA Club World Cups and more in nine years at Real.

Marcelo was present for all those successes but could also be ready for a change in scenery after more than a decade at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.

At 30 years of age, Marcelo could still have some of his prime years left to go, but with the winning lustre of Ronaldo no longer at Real, there's a question as to whether the side carry close to the same silverware threat.

The Brazil star's Portuguese link would have undoubtedly helped form a greater understanding with Ronaldo, and Marcelo himself developed into one of the world's best players in his position also, via La Liga:

Juventus had to break the bank in order to get their Ronaldo deal over the line, and recruiting a player of Marcelo's calibre would likely require another big expense considering he has a little less than four year left on his contract.

Serie A blogger Arjun Pradeep also nodded at the presence of Marcelo's international compatriot, Alex Sandro, as Juve's existing left-back is a potential stumbling block:

Some might argue the Bianconeri would be wiser to invest more time in developing Sandro, 27, to match those standards regularly seen by his countryman, but he doesn't seem to attract the same excitement he once did.

Real defeated Girona 4-1 in August, after which Marcelo conceded the team do miss Ronaldo, per Goal's Chris Burton: "[Ronaldo] is the best in the world. It's obvious that you miss playing with him, but Bale and Benzema are really good, too."

Marcelo enjoyed a close bond with Ronaldo both on and off the pitch, one he may be unlikely to replicate with any other player on the planet.

Any alleged friction with Lopetegui may be a priority for the tactician if he wishes to retain the defender's services, with another key member of Real's vanguard linked with the Bernabeu exit.