Bristol City's January transfer window has been dominated by their search for a striker but Cardiff City midfielder Will Vaulks is also on the club's radar, according to Mail Online.
The Robins are battling with fellow Championship side Stoke City and League One Sunderland for the Wales international whose future at Cardiff City Stadium appears uncertain.
Vaulks was signed by previous Bluebirds manager for around £2m from Rotherham but has made just 12 Championship appearances this season with his last league match on January 1.
Vaulks has two seasons of Championship experience with Rotherham when he played under Lee Johnson's close friend and former Yeovil teammate so is unquestionably a player familiar to the City head coach.
Indeed, City were linked with Vaulks four years ago when he was playing in Scotland with Falkirk but he decided on a switch to the Millers instead.
The 26-year-old is also the sort of classic, controlling ball-winning midfielder who City have lacked this season through Korey Smith's injury, the sale of Marlon Pack in the summer and the inexperience of Han-Noah Massengo.
Smith did play in the holding role of Johnson's 4-1-4-1 against Barnsley on Saturday, with Josh Brownhill and Jamie Paterson ahead of him, but the visitors created a number of chances through the centre of the park, exposing the Robins vulnerability.
Vaulks is under contract until 2022 and having paid £2m just six months ago, if it was to be a permanent deal the Bluebirds would surely want to recoup a significant portion, if not all, of that fee.
There has been positive dialogue between the clubs over recent seasons in the transfer market since Mark Ashton arrived at City with Lee Tomlin, Bobby Reid and Marlon Pack all making the move down the M4 to the Welsh capital.
Johnson admitted on Saturday is keen to make at least two signings before the January 31 deadline and has previously stated he wants to strengthen two positions.
"I think we need to get a couple in. I think that you need quality, not quantity and that’s the problem because there isn’t a lot," Johnson said.
"Our squad is okay, we’ve tried to reduce the numbers for dynamic reasons to make sure that mentally everybody feels like they’ve got a shot of playing and being involved which I think is important.
"But I’d be lying to you if I didn’t feel it was very important for us to bring a couple in."
With one of those confirmed as a striker, or preferably two, if the Vaulks link is to be believed, the Robins are also keen to add greater ballast in midfield.
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