Real Madrid have been tipped to potentially bide their time in the pursuit of Tottenham Hotspur creative midfielder Christian Eriksen and wait until 2020 to sign the Dane on a free transfer.
Gossip from Spain earlier this week claimed that Real already have a 'verbal agreement' with Eriksen over a proposed move to the Bernabeu, while there have been suggestions that Tottenham would ask for €150m (£128.5m) to part with the player.
However, with Eriksen's current Tottenham contract due to expire at the end of next season and seemingly no renewal on the immediate horizon there is a much cheaper way for Los Blancos to get a deal done if they are willing to wait 12 months.
According to a claim from The Sun, that is exactly what the 13-time European champions could do, with the tabloid newspaper alleging that a late bid in August is planned to 'pile the pressure' on Tottenham. If that fails, Real could wait until 2020 to land Eriksen as a free agent.
Should the 27-year-old make his way to the Spanish capital, this year or next, he would be following in the footsteps of Luka Modric and Gareth Bale, both of whom left Spurs for Real.
Modric in particular is thought to be the player that Real want Eriksen to replace, with the Ballon d'Or winning Croatian due to celebrate his 34th birthday in September.
Real also continue to be heavily linked with Chelsea winger Eden Hazard and Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba ahead of an expected summer overhaul, seemingly a pre-condition of Zinedine Zidane agreeing to return as head coach after stepping down last May.
But the likelihood of Real being able to afford Hazard, Pogba and Eriksen - potentially collectively valued at around €400m - in the same summer looks slim, unless they raise vast funds by selling multiple high profile players.
That is why waiting until 2020 for Eriksen appears to have some merit. But things move quickly in football and Eriksen's situation may have changed by 2020, while Real could equally have moved on if other potential targets emerge elsewhere.
Source : 90min