A highly-rated Bayern Munich attacker has supposedly set his sights on a future move to Real Madrid amid uncertainty surrounding his future.
Former Chelsea and Southampton academy product Jamal Musiala has lit up the Bundesliga since leaving England in 2019, blossoming into one of the most promising playmakers in Europe.
The 21-year-old has already come up with 43 goals and 31 assists in 163 matches in a Bayern shirt, including 12 goals and eight assists from 38 matches in the 2023-24 campaign.
Despite Musiala's exploits and those of his teammates, the Bavarians ended the season without a single major trophy under their belt, the first time since 2011-12 that they failed to earn a piece of silverware.
The ex-England youth international's next career move has been the subject of much debate, as he will soon enter the final two years of his Bayern contract and has been tipped to leave for a number of months now.
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Musiala 'earmarks Real Madrid as next destination'
Musiala has supposedly already rejected the chance to sign a new deal at the Allianz Arena, putting all of Manchester City, Liverpool and Barcelona on red alert ahead of a potential summer bidding war.
However, according to Marca reporter Carlos Carpio - via Twitch - the Germany international has his heart set on representing Real Madrid, and a renewal at Bayern is now considered highly unlikely.
Nevertheless, the German giants are apparently prepared to demand as much as £100m for Musiala, whom they paid just £170,000 to Chelsea for five years ago, which would eliminate Barcelona from the running.
Liverpool would not be expected to bow to such demands either, leaving financial powerhouses Man City and Real Madrid as the only two real contenders for the 21-year-old's services.
Alternatively, if Musiala still shows no desire to prolong his Bayern Munich contract, the interested parties could wait until 2025 - when the 21-year-old will enter the last 12 months of his contract - before making their move.
Jamal Musiala or Florian Wirtz for Real Madrid?
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Musiala is one of two 21-year-old Bundesliga phenoms said to be on Real Madrid's transfer radar, as Los Blancos have unsurprisingly taken a liking to Bayer Leverkusen protege Florian Wirtz.
An exceptional season under Xabi Alonso has seen Wirtz contribute 18 goals and 20 assists in 48 matches, including 11 goals and 12 assists from 32 Bundesliga outings during Leverkusen's storming run to the crown.
However, Wirtz's contract at the BayArena still has another three years left to run, and club chiefs have ruled out the possibility of the 2003-born attacker heading elsewhere in the summer window.
Regardless, Real Madrid are said to already be working on a transfer plan to bring Wirtz to the Bernabeu for the 2025-26 season, but whether both he and Musiala could arrive in the Spanish capital together is another question entirely.
Spots will open up in the advanced midfield ranks if both Brahim Diaz and Nico Paz depart in the near future, but with Jude Bellingham and Arda Guler at their disposal, Los Blancos are ostensibly sorted in the number 10 role for years to come.
Ben Knapton
