MADRID - Fernando Gago and Ruud Van Nistelrooy are both considering leaving Real Madrid in January, according to reports in the Spanish media Tuesday.

Madrid sports daily AS claims that midfielder Gago “has suggested” to Real that he be loaned back to Argentine club Boca Juniors from January onwards.

Gago, 23, joined Real from Boca in January 2007 but has never been first choice at the Estadio Bernabeu. Present coach Manuel Pellegrini seems to have little faith in him.

According to AS, Gago’s priority is to be part of the Argentine squad at the 2010 World Cup, and playing for Boca instead of sitting on the Real bench could help towards that end.

AS also claims that loaning Gago to Boca might help Real to buy Boca’s promising 19 year-old defender Ezequiel Munoz.

Catalan daily Sport, for its part, claims that Van Nistelrooy is “desperate” to leave Real and return to England, possibly to Liverpool.

Van Nistelrooy, 33, joined Real from Manchester United in July 2006 and was straight away Liga top scorer. However, he suffered a serious knee ligament in November 2008 and has just returned to action, but does not seem to enter into Pellegrini’s plans.