Kai Havertz has chosen Real Madrid as his preferred destination should he leave Bayer Leverkusen this summer.
The decision will come as a blow to several Premier League sides, including Chelsea, who have tracked the German.
Havertz has taken a lead role for the Bundesliga outfit and his 16 goals have attracted plenty of attention.
He is keen on a switch to the Bernabeu because it would allow him a chance to play alongside his idol Toni Kroos, reports Sportbuzzer.
The Los Blancos midfielder spent some time at the BayArena on loan before breaking into the Bayern Munich first team which then earned him a move to Madrid.
Reports in Germany claim that the Spanish giants have already tabled a bid for the 21-year-old star.
Leverkusen have slapped a hefty £90m price tag on their prized asset which, in the wake of the coronavirus, could prove a stumbling block for clubs who have had their finances affected.
As well as Madrid and Chelsea, Barcelona and Manchester United are also eyeing Havertz.
But one club who are unlikely to pursue his signature are Bayern despite their reputation for acquiring the best German talent.
The Bavarians have made Leroy Sane their No 1 target and will not have the budget to sign both.
Leverkusen CEO Fernando Carro concedes that Havertz has plans to move on, but will only sanction his exit if it suits the club.
"With Kai Havertz, I see that many clubs are interested in him.
"Kai has been with us for ten years. I see the player's desire to take the next step some time in the near future.
"You have to try to find a solution where the player's goal can be reconciled with ours. No one can say for sure what is going to happen at the moment."
