Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is entitled to dream of playing for Real Madrid one day, Borussia Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel has said, telling reporters: "That's just normal."
Speaking ahead of his side's trip to the Bernabeu in the Champions League on Wednesday, Tuchel said star striker Aubameyang "makes everyone better."
Gabon international Aubameyang, 27, is under contract at Dortmund until 2020 but has spoken of his desire to play for Madrid one day and has also been linked with Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City.
"We can't achieve our goals without Auba. He makes everyone better. He can make the difference in every second," Tuchel said.
"That he's so public about his wish to play for Real Madrid is just normal. Everyone has the dream to play for one of the best clubs in the world, and Real are one of them."
The player's mother, Margarita Crespo, told Spanish radio station Onda Cedro: "For the time being he is at Borussia, and everything is going well.
"Pierre is very humble and we will see what happens with time. Everything arrives with time.
"It's true that he promised my father that he would play for Real Madrid one day. My father and mother loved football and were supporters of Real Madrid."
Real are currently under a transfer ban imposed by FIFA after they were ruled to have broken its regulations on the international transfers of players aged under 16.
And speaking to Bild, Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke said: "If Real want Auba, [president Florentino] Perez will contact me. It hasn't happened yet."
Meanwhile, BVB will be without Germany international Mario Gotze and Raphael Guerreiro on Wednesday.
They could also take to the pitch without Marco Reus, who has a cold, and Tuchel said: "We'll make a decision closer to the match."
Dortmund must avoid defeat to top Group F.