Real Madrid are reportedly willing to put their plans to sign Alphonso Davies from Bayern Munich on ice until the summer of 2025, when the Canadian is due to become a free agent.
Bayern and Davies are currently at odds over a new deal, as the recently dethroned German champions have been attempting to tie him down to a renewal without success.
The left-back's wage demands are believed to be too excessive for Bayern to bow to, and he can therefore leave the club for nothing in just under 12 months' time.
Reports claiming that Davies has already verbally agreed a switch to the Bernabeu have been denied by the defender's agent, but Carlo Ancelotti's side are understood to possess a serious interest in him.
Bayern have not yet conceded defeat in their efforts to keep the 23-year-old at the Allianz Arena, though, and they would still be due a fee if Real try to bring him to the Spanish capital this summer.
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Real Madrid 'refuse to fork out Bayern asking price'
Thanks to Bayern and Real's respective Champions League quarter-final wins over Arsenal and Manchester City, Davies will square off with the La Liga leaders in the semi-finals, potentially meeting some of his future teammates.
According to Sport, though, Real Madrid may delay their pursuit of the Canada international for financial reasons, as Bayern would supposedly demand between €50m (£43.1m) and €60m (£51.8m) to sell him this summer.
With Real Madrid not willing to go north of €40m (£34.5m), the Spanish giants would be happy to wait until 2025 to sign Davies on a free transfer, allowing them to focus their efforts elsewhere this summer.
The Canadian would arrive in the Spanish capital as a successor to Ferland Mendy, whom Ancelotti supposedly believes is the best left-back in the world, but injuries have blighted his Blancos career.
Real Madrid did bolster their full-back ranks with the signing of Fran Garcia last summer, but the report claims that Ancelotti does not have complete faith in the 24-year-old, who has only started 11 La Liga games this term.
Real Madrid to beat Premier League clubs to Davies?
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Los Blancos are unlikely to be alone in their pursuit of Davies, who is believed to have emerged as an option for a handful of Premier League clubs, namely Manchester City and Chelsea.
However, the former Vancouver Whitecaps man is still thought to be prioritising a switch to Ancelotti's side after five-and-a-half years at Bayern, who paid €14m (£12.1m) for his signature in January 2019.
Davies has since amassed nine goals and 29 assists from 188 matches for the Bavarian giants, scoring once and setting up four goals in 35 games across all tournaments in the 2023-24 season.
The four-time Canada Player of the Year has won 13 major honours with Bayern, including the 2019-20 Champions League and five Bundesliga titles, but Thomas Tuchel's side could end the current campaign without a single trophy to their name.
Ben Knapton
