Christian Eriksen has decided he wants to leave Tottenham after six years in north London.
The midfielder is entering the final year of his contract with Spurs and is keen to "try something new" after establishing himself among the Premier League's best talents.
Eriksen has not ruled out staying at Spurs "if there are no exciting offers" but acknowledged the prospect of playing at Real Madrid would be a "step up" after time with Ajax and Tottenham.
Spurs chairman Daniel Levy is a notoriously tough negotiator and is expected to demand big money despite Eriksen having just 12 months to run on his current deal.
Here's what we know so far...
Who wants to sign him?
Real Madrid and Manchester United have both been credited with an interest in recent months.
Zinedine Zidane is embarking on a major squad rebuild having returned to the Santiago Bernabeu and is understood to be pondering over a move for Paul Pogba or Eriksen, having already secured Eden Hazard's signature.
United's interest also hangs on Pogba's future, with Eriksen the man Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is likely to turn to should the World Cup winner get his move away. Juventus are rivalling Real Madrid for him.
Is the deal close?
No. A contract offer has been on the table since last year which would increase his salary to over £150,000-a-week, double his current terms.
Levy is understood to prefer a sale to the Spanish giants over domestic rivals United and would be willing to cash in this summer rather than lose the player for nothing in 12 months' time.
Though, Eriksen's level of interest in a move to United remains unclear following the club's failure to qualify for the Champions League.
How much will he cost?
Eriksen has just a year to run on his contract and Tottenham will look to the €100m, plus add-ons, fee Chelsea got for Eden Hazard, who also had a year left on his deal, from Real Madrid as a yardstick for their own valuation.
While Eriksen is not among a select group of elite players in the world game, which Hazard arguably is, Spurs will hope to accrue north of £60m for one of their most talented players.
Mauricio Pochettino will be allowed to reinvest any money gained from selling players back into the first-team squad.
Who could replace him?
Tottenham have made midfield a priority area to improve this summer and have already signed Tanguy Ndombele from Lyon, while talks are continuing with Real Betis over Giovani Lo Celso.
Ndombele is a more box-to-box midfielder to Eriksen's more attack-minded approach. Lo Celso is more in the Denmark international's mould, and Eriksen's sale would facilitate Spurs paying close to the Argentine's asking price.
James Maddison, a target for Spurs before joining Leicester City last summer, has also been linked but a deal is considered unlikely.
