Real Madrid have accepted it is likely that they will have to play the waiting game in their attempts to sign Manchester United star Paul Pogba this summer.
The World Cup winning midfielder is seeking a move away from Old Trafford after he said to reporters in Japan last month that he was looking for a "new challenge".
Pogba's old side Juventus are among those said to be interested in the player, but Madrid remain the front-runners, with manager Zinedine Zidane said to be a big fan of his fellow Frenchman.
However, the club are aware that any potential deal will be a complicated one.
United are holding out for a fee of close to £200m to consider selling Pogba, and Madrid are looking to sell fringe players such as Gareth Bale, Isco and Lucas Vazquez to try to raise the funds necessary.
Therefore any deal could go down to the final days of the transfer window, with the market in England closing on August 8 but the Spanish one remaining open nearly a month later.
Having already signed Eden Hazard, Luka Jovic, Eder Militao, Ferland Mendy and Rodrygo, Madrid's summer spending is already over £300m, and they know there is a desperate need to offload players before they can bring anyone else in, let alone a player with the wage demands of Pogba.
The deal could be similar to that of the Madrid's ultimately unsuccessful attempt to sign David De Gea in 2015, where negotiations only began on the final day of the transfer window, although they will be hoping this time they can get all parts of the deal done in time
The 26-year-old is likely to take part in United's first game of their pre-season tour on Saturday when they take on Perth Glory despite the speculation following him.
