Feyenoord will reportedly refuse to sell in-demand centre-forward Santiago Gimenez unless they receive an offer in excess of £87m.
The 22-year-old has been in excellent form for his Dutch club during the 2023-24 campaign, scoring 15 goals and registering three assists in 11 appearances in all competitions.
Gimenez has 13 goals and three assists in the Eredivisie this term, while he netted twice in Feyenoord's 3-1 win over Lazio in the Champions League on Wednesday, having missed his side's opening two games in this season's competition through suspension.
In total, the Mexico international has managed 38 goals and six assists in 56 appearances for Feyenoord, with his form believed to have attracted the attention of a host of major clubs.
FIFA intermediary Morris Pagniello has claimed that Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur are currently the two teams in pole position to sign the forward in 2024.
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"Now, the teams closest to him are Real Madrid and Tottenham," Pagniello told TuttoMercatoWeb.
The agent does not directly represent Gimenez, though, and a number of other clubs are also believed to be interested in securing his signature during next summer's transfer window.
According to 90min, Feyenoord have no intention of allowing the Mexican to leave in January, but the club accept that every player has a price in the current market.
The report claims that Arsenal and Chelsea have also scouted Gimenez this season, with the London clubs looking for new strikers, but Real Madrid have been talked-up as a likely destination by ex-Barcelona defender Rafael Marquez.
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"Since he arrived he has scored goals and earned his place in the starting line-up. Yesterday he scored two goals, and he had another goal disallowed, I think he's having a great spell," Marquez told reporters, as quoted by AS.
"I think the mentality that Santi has, the work he is doing, and the support he has from his father, who has a great experience in football, makes him a more complete player, and hopefully he will have the opportunity (to move to Real Madrid)."
Feyenoord would allegedly want a record fee for the Eredivisie in order to sell Gimenez, meaning that a club would have to pay more than the £87m that Manchester United spent on Antony from Ajax.
Real Madrid's interest could depend on what happens with Kylian Mbappe, as the Paris Saint-Germain attacker remains the Spanish club's leading target for 2024.
Gimenez represented Cruz Azul before making the move to Feyenoord, scoring 21 goals and registering 11 assists in 105 appearances for the Mexican side.
Matt Law
