Lille centre-back Leny Yoro would reportedly be happy to run down his contract at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy in order to join Real Madrid without a hitch next summer.
The 18-year-old is one of the most in-demand centre-backs on the market right now thanks to his stellar exploits in France, where he has already become an established starter for Les Dogues.
Yoro scored three times in 44 games for Lille last season under Paulo Fonseca, helping Les Dogues finish in the top four of the Ligue 1 table, thereby earning a place in the Champions League qualifying rounds.
The teenager has also earned his first cap for France's Under-23s, although he will not represent his country at the 2024 Paris Olympics, as Lille refused to release him for the tournament.
However, Les Dogues will have no choice but to release him from the club either this summer or the next, as he has now entered the last 12 months of his contract at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy and has no intention of extending.
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Real Madrid 'refusing' to meet Lille asking price
Despite talk of interest from Liverpool, Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain, Yoro is believed to have his heart set on joining Real Madrid, who would also like to have him in their ranks.
According to The Athletic, Yoro would even be willing to remain at Lille for another year, run down his contract and join Real on a free if the two clubs cannot agree on a price this summer.
Lille would supposedly want around €60m (£50.8m) to let the 2005-born starlet depart in the current window, but Real Madrid are only prepared to go as high as €40m (£33.9m), in spite of the fact that he is their 'priority'.
All of Real Madrid, Lille and Yoro's entourage are not in the dark about the Frenchman's desire to play for the 15-time European champions, and his stance could pile the pressure on his current club to agree a fee with Los Blancos this time around.
Whether Lille are prepared to lower their demands remains to be seen, though, as other interested parties may be prepared to fork out their £50.8m valuation, not an unrealistic asking price.
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However, there would be no guarantees that Yoro would agree personal terms with any other suitors, given his burning desire to play for Carlo Ancelotti's side either in 2024-25 or 2025-26.
Real Madrid - kings of the free transfers?
If Yoro were to run down the final months of his Lille contract and make the move to the Bernabeu for nothing, the 18-year-old would emulate Kylian Mbappe, who also left Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent to sign for Real.
Mbappe will almost certainly be Los Blancos' only marquee signing this summer, despite talk of a swoop for Bayern Munich's Alphonso Davies, who like Yoro is also in the last 12 months of his deal.
The Canadian left-back is also set to become a free agent in 2025 after contract talks with Bayern broke down, offering Real Madrid hope of another top defensive signing without paying their rivals a single penny.
Ben Knapton
