Bitter rivals Cardiff City and Swansea City are reportedly jostling for the signature of Bordeaux midfielder Younousse Sankhare.
According to L'Equipe both sides are competing with Premier League newcomers Sheffield United for the 29-year-old, with Blades boss Chris Wilder said to be a big admirer of the Senegalese international.
Reports in France suggest United could be about to make a bid, while Nottingham Forest and Villarreal have previously been credited with interest.
It's not yet clear just how much it would take to complete a deal, but reports have speculated that he could be valued at around £4.5m.
Sankhare has spent the last two-and-a-half seasons with the Ligue 1 outfit and still has two years to run on his current deal, but has reportedly been told he is not in boss Paulo Sousa's plans.
However, a move to Sousa's former club Swansea looks unlikely this summer.
The Swans are once again expected to have little cash to play with in this window, and a central midfielder is not believed to be a priority for chairman Trevor Birch or boss Steve Cooper, who are instead keen on a new striker, a centre-back and a replacement for the recently departed Daniel James.
In contrast, Cardiff boss Neil Warnock is open to further strengthening his options in the centre of the park, and is understood to have watched Sankhare in action back in December 2018.
Sankare, who has 373 career appearances to his name, is said to be considering his options.
