Prospective Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag wants to make Monaco's Aurelien Tchouameni one of his first signings at the club, according to ESPN journalists Rob Dawson and Julien Laurens.
The lowdown
The Athletic's David Ornstein revealed on Tuesday evening that Ten Hag has verbally agreed to become the next permanent manager at Old Trafford.
And ESPN believe an official announcement could be made before the end of the month.
Tchouameni is a 22-year-old France international whose primary position is defensive midfield.
He's under contract at the Stade Louis II until the end of the 2023/24 season.
The latest
Dawson and Laurens write that United have been 'finalising shortlists' in their target positions ahead of the summer transfer window.
Ten Hag 'will be allowed' to present his own list of options as he looks to put his stamp on the squad and Carrington sources have told the outlet that he's 'keen' on bringing Tchouameni to Old Trafford.
Monaco are apparently willing to listen to offers in the region of £49.7million-£58million.
Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea are also interested, but Tchouameni would prefer to move away from Ligue 1, and the 'uncertainty' over the ownership at Stamford Bridge could harm the Blues' cause.
The verdict
Signing Tchouameni would get the Ten Hag regime off to an excellent start.
He won the official Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year award in 2020/21, a clear indication of his immense promise.
And he's continued to shine this season, winning four WhoScored Man of the Match awards, as many as PSG duo Lionel Messi and Neymar combined.
Tchouameni looks like an exceptionally well-rounded midfielder, ranking in the 74th percentile or better (relative to positional peers) for dribbles, progressive passes, tackles and interceptions (via FBRef).
He's of a similar profile to the likes of Liverpool's Thiago Alcantara and Real Madrid's Casemiro.
Journalist Zach Lowy has declared him 'one of the best young midfielders on the planet', a glowing endorsement indeed.
In other news, Rangnick could be without an 'extremely valuable' player for a month.