Manchester United and Liverpool will lock horns in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon and reports suggest they will do so in the transfer market, as well.
Having finished as runners-up to Manchester City last season, figures responsible for deals at Old Trafford issued a triple statement of intent - signing Jadon Sancho, Raphael Varane and Cristiano Ronaldo.
It was a highly-commended window from the Premier League giants.
However, amid ongoing links with Declan Rice and Kalvin Phillips, they were unable to follow up those successful swoops with a top-level midfield signing.
Manchester Evening News understands that has been earmarked as a priority for 12 months from now.
Rice is viewed to be target number one in that respect, although several other holding midfielders - including his England teammate Phillips - are deemed to be on the radar, too, as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer continues to build a team capable of winning the Premier League and Champions League.
Now they are expected to go toe-to-toe with Liverpool for Ajax sensation Ryan Gravenberch.
That's according to a report in Dutch publication De Telegraaf - as per this article from The Hard Tackle.
Already capped nine times by the Netherlands at senior international level, the 19-year-old has emerged as one of the most highly-rated young midfielders on the planet.
Gravenberch is generally regarded as an all-action player, though, rather than a defensive specialist United are out to add to their star-studded squad.
Indeed, the same article suggests he might be a replacement for Paul Pogba - should the World Cup winner opt to move on, of course.
Elsewhere, goalkeeper Dean Henderson was subject to loan interest from Borussia Dortmund this summer window, according to The Times.
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Having displaced long-serving David de Gea last season, the England international has been made to play a waiting game, once again, this campaign.
De Gea remains in superb form having reclaimed the gloves on the back of Henderson contracting Covid-19.
Spending the earlier part of his career at Grimsby Town, Shrewsbury and Sheffield United, the same article suggests he would be open to another loan switch in January.
Henderson could already have done so, meanwhile, amid a summer enquiry from the Bundesliga side.
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