Manchester City’s chances of signing Bayer Leverkusen forward Kai Havertz have been dealt a setback with the German preferring a move to Real Madrid, according to Sport Buzzer.

The German website claims the 20-year-old is keen on following in the footsteps of fellow countryman Toni Kroos who also made the switch to the Bernabeu.

Along with City, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool were all said to be keen on signing Havertz but, at the moment, it appears his future lies away from the Premier League.

There is some hope for the Citizens and other interested clubs, though, with Sport Buzzer suggesting that Real have fallen well short with their opening offer for the German international.

Leverkusen are said to be demanding €100m (£90m) for Havertz, but Real’s initial proposal is believed to be a part-exchange deal which includes two players that Leverkusen are not interested in taking.

This transfer saga is likely to continue for a while yet, with clubs expected to struggle to match the player’s asking price.