Borussia Dortmund's CEO, Hans-Joachim Watzke, appears to have admitted for the first time that he will let Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang join Real Madrid.
The Bundesliga club have done well to repel all interest in the Gabon international until now.
But after the player's own public admission that he would love to move the Spanish capital, Dortmund weakened their stance and looked to cede some ground on the subject of his transfer.
"If Real Madrid come knocking, we will talk, but it isn't going to be easy," Watzke told Sky Germany.
"The transfer won't be automatic."
Dortmund are keen not to be viewed as a selling club despite losing Mario Gotze, Robert Lewandowski, Ilkay Gundogan, Mats Hummels and Shinji Kagawa in recent years.
And Watzke moved to clarify that the only big names to have gone did so because of contract situations rather than the club not being able to hold onto its stars.
"We want him to stay with us. Unlike other players that left us recently, Aubameyang has a long contract that he has extended until 2020.
"There is absolutely no pressure [to let him go]. I also don't have the impression that he would like to go."
Aubameyang had previously admitted:
"Real Madrid is the club of my heart. I promised my grandma that one day I would play there, I hope this can happen.
"It's only an aim and I still have time... if they want me."
Madrid do, of course, have a transfer ban placed upon them by Fifa which, currently, is set to prevent them from registering new players until January 2018.
The 27-year-old forward is currently second in the Bundesliga's goal rankings behind Anthony Modeste.
Former Blackburn striker Modeste is leading an unlikely title challenge from FC Koln, who remain unbeaten even after a trip to play Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena.
