Germany international Christoph Kramer admits he is keeping his options open for next season, and has described being linked with a transfer to Real Madrid as an "enormous honour."
Kramer, 23, is currently in the second season of a two-year loan spell at Borussia Monchengladbach, who have expressed an interest in making the move permanent when he is due to return to Bayer Leverkusen in the summer.
Leverkusen sporting director Rudi Voller says the club are "relaxed" about the links to Real and expect Kramer to be back at the BayArena next summer, and while the player says he would have no problems doing that, he is attracted to a move abroad.
"Of course [going back to Leverkusen] is an option for me," he told the Berliner Morgenpost newspaper. "They have a good coach in Roger Schmidt and they play an attractive style of football which would also suit me."
Gladbach's brand of football is also to Kramer's liking, yet he says the challenge of adapting to a new country and a new culture is appealing.
"That has always interested me," he said. "I would not be afraid of [going abroad]. I want to find out what my limit is and I always strive for the very best."
One option might be Real Madrid, who have already been linked with a move for the World Cup winner.
"I wish I had cut out and hung that article on my wall," Kramer added. "To be linked with Real Madrid is an enormous honour for me."
Meanwhile, Kramer has been forced to pull out of Germany's squad to face Gibraltar on Friday night and Spain on Tuesday due to a back injury.
Christoph #Kramer has been ruled out of #GERGIB & #ESPGER & has already travelled home. More: http://t.co/0iMNZm279q pic.twitter.com/4IBQ4MvYIS
- Germany (@DFB_Team_EN) November 14, 2014