Crystal Palace have reportedly submitted a bid for VFB Stuggart midfielder Orel Mangala, but will face competition from West Ham United and Nottingham Forest to secure his signing this summer.
What's the word?
According to Sport BILD, the Belgium international is heading to the Premier League and will join one of Palace, West Ham or Forest after all three sides met Stuggart's £13m asking price.
The report claims that the 24-year-old midfielder will make his decision in the coming days, and Patrick Vieira will be hoping that he arrives at Selhurst Park, as he continues to bolster his squad with young talents ahead of the new season.
Vieira would love him
With it seemingly clear that Conor Gallagher won't be returning to Crystal Palace this summer, Vieira will be keen to recruit an attack-minded midfielder in the same mould as the Chelsea youngster.
While Mangala only managed one goal and three assists in the Bundesliga last season, he excels at dribbling, long shots and finishing, so will definitely be able to contribute to Palace's attack.
According to FbRef, the Belgian scored in the 99th percentile of midfielders for dribbles completed last season, which emphasises his ability on the ball.
He also scored impressively with regards to progressive passes and touches in the attacking penalty area, which shows that he is not afraid to get forward, and he could link up well with Palace's attackers next season.
The "superb" midfielder, in the words of Josh Bunting, has been likened to former Newcastle United and Liverpool favourite Georginio Wijnaldum, who excelled in spells with both clubs before his move to PSG last summer.
FbRef suggests that the Dutch midfielder is the fourth-most comparable player to Mangala in terms of style of play, and if the 24-year-old were to perform anywhere near the level of Wijnaldum in a Palace shirt, he would surely be a quality addition.
Therefore, the Eagles will be hoping that they can see off the interest from Forest and West Ham and bring Mangala to Selhurst Park in the next few days.