Real Madrid are reportedly at the head of the queue to land Bayern Munich defender David Alaba.
The Austria international will soon enter the final six months of his deal with the Champions League winners, and Bayern chief Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has admitted that Alaba is set to depart when his contract is up.
A number of top European clubs have since been tipped to swoop for the 28-year-old when he becomes a free agent, although Manchester United have reportedly ruled themselves out of the running to sign Alaba.
With the versatile defender able to negotiate with clubs elsewhere from January 1, The Athletic claims that Real are now considered the favourites to land Alaba in the summer transfer window.
The report claims that the La Liga champions could not afford to stump up a fee for the Bayern stalwart amid the coronavirus pandemic, but Real Madrid would not have a problem paying the Austrian's wages.
Alaba has remained a key player for Bayern this term despite speculation over his future, with the defender turning out 18 times across all competitions in the 2020-21 campaign.
Ben Knapton
