Gareth Bale will dig in his heels and refuse to leave Real Madrid this summer unless one of his suitors is willing to match his astronomical wages at the Bernabeu.
The Welshman, who turns 30 this summer, still has three years to run on his contract with the Spanish giants, and he will tell them he is happy to sit tight and collect his wages — even if new boss Zinedine Zidane doesn’t play him.
Whatever Bale's next move is, it will be motivated by finance rather than football.
And while the four-time Champions League winner is open to offers from any league in the world, he won’t budge without the financial package matching or bettering the one he is on.
Zinedine Zidane speaks out on the players he wants in summer transfer window
That figure is reportedly around £350,000 a week — although this paper understands it is closer to double that figure.
Few clubs in world football have the resources to match, never mind better, that sort of salary. And if no-one is willing to make such an offer, then Bale and his family are happy to stay put in a city they enjoy living in.
Bale’s position is sure to give Zidane and Real’s moneymen a headache as they set about revamping their squad.
Manchester United’s Paul Pogba and Eden Hazard of Chelsea are the Frenchman’s two priority signings.
Paul Pogba and David de Gea 'demand new Man Utd deals to offset top four failure'
But while Hazard should be a relatively straightforward deal to do, they will have a huge job getting Pogba out of Old Trafford.
That won’t stop Zidane trying but United will play hardball as the France midfielder is seen as the jewel in the crown by executive chairman Ed Woodward.
Hazard, however, has spent the last nine months making clear that he fancies a move to Real Madrid.
Real Madrid set to agree 'new kit deal worth a staggering £1.25bn'
The return of Zidane, his boyhood hero, has only strengthened his desire to join them in the summer.
Belgium international Hazard only has a year on his contract and Madrid are understood to be preparing an offer of around the £90million mark which will they will table early this week.
Chelsea will hold out for closer to £100m but, with such a short time left on his deal, they know letting the 28-year-old move will make business sense.
