Real Madrid have reportedly reached a verbal agreement with Bayern Munich left-back Alphonso Davies to join the club either this year or in 2025.
The Canada international's next career move has been a hot-button topic for a number of months, as his contract at the Allianz Arena expires at the end of the 2024-25 campaign.
Bayern boss Thomas Tuchel is thought to be keen to retain Davies's services, but the defender's salary demands for a renewal have supposedly been deemed unreasonable by the German champions.
As a result, negotiations have hit a brick wall, and rather than risk losing Davies on a free transfer next year, Bayern will bite the bullet and try to sell him this summer if no new terms are agreed.
All of Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City have been tipped to bring the 23-year-old to the Premier League, but according to The Athletic, Real Madrid have now taken a major step to ensure that Davies ends up in white.
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The report states that Los Blancos have verbally agreed a move with his camp, although it is still not decided whether he will link up with Carlo Ancelotti's side this summer or join when his deal runs out in 2025.
Bayern would be entitled to a fee if Real push through a deal this summer, although given his contract situation and the Bavarians' proposed need to sell, Los Blancos would not have to pay a premium figure.
Alternatively, Davies could follow a similar path to former Bayern teammate David Alaba and join the La Liga leaders for nothing in 2025 - a scenario which the German champions are desperate to avoid happening again.
Bayern are still fighting tooth and nail to keep hold of Davies and have supposedly turned their nose up to signing potential replacements, but Real have supposedly been putting pressure on the Canada international not to renew his Allianz Arena contract.
Furthermore, while Davies has given Real Madrid every indication that he wants to join them - in spite of interest from the aforementioned Premier League trio and Barcelona - Los Blancos have not entered direct talks with Bayern just yet.
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Davies rose to prominence at Vancouver Whitecaps before joining Bayern Munich in 2019, since when he has contributed nine goals and 28 assists in 180 matches for the Reds, winning five Bundesliga titles in addition to the Champions League and Club World Cup.
The 6ft defender has one goal and three assists under his belt from 27 appearances in the current campaign, but Bayern remain eight points adrift of Bayer Leverkusen at the top of the Bundesliga standings.
Davies could arrive at the Bernabeu as a successor to Ferland Mendy, who is also due to become a free agent in under 18 months' time and has consistently struggled with injuries since leaving Lyon for Los Blancos in 2019.
Former Castilla product Fran Garcia rejoined from Rayo Vallecano last summer to compete with Mendy and has set up five goals in 24 games this term, but he is not seen as a long-term solution at left-back.
Should Bayern fail in their efforts to stop Davies moving to Real Madrid, the German giants apparently plan to move for AC Milan's Theo Hernandez as his replacement.
Ben Knapton
