Manchester United are locked in a fight with Chelsea to sign Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, according to reports.
The 25-year-old SS Lazio and Serbia star has been linked with a move to England for years now.
But his move to Premier League could finally be on with manager Frank Lampard itching to find a ready-made successor for Kante.
The Frenchman has been linked with a host of European sides in recent weeks – and is even believed to have an “agreement with Real Madrid”.
The Stamford Bridge outfit are also said to be willing to sell N’Golo, in order to continue their summer splurge with the landing of Kai Havertz.
But if Chelsea want £70m-rated Sergej, Lampard will have to go toe-to-toe with the Norwegian colleague Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
The Old Trafford chief is itching to continue his side’s march towards the top of the top-flight.
After taking over a side in disarray, Ole has made a host of impressive signings who have thrust the club back into UEFA Champions League contention.
Bruno Fernandes, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Daniel James and Harry Maguire are just four well-made acquisitions from the Norwegian.
But with Paul Pogba a target for Los Blancos and Juventus this summer, Ole fears all his hard work could be undone.
So the manager is going hunting for a high-level replacement in order to complement red-hot Fernandes next campaign.
Milinkovic-Savic is understood to favour a move to a side with UCL football.
The Red Devils and the Blues are locked in a tense fight for fourth place in England’s first tier.
And now there could be more than just a UCL spot on the standings, but an elite player too.