Newcastle United are reportedly eyeing a move for Borussia Monchengladbach striker, Marcus Thuram, with the Frenchman having caught the eye of a number of Premier League clubs of late.
What's the word?
According to The Sun, the Magpies could make a move to land the 25-year-old in the January window, with the in-form marksman free to talk to foreign clubs in the New Year with his existing deal in Germany set to expire in the summer.
That contract uncertainty has ensured that the four-cap sensation - who is the son of former World Cup winner, Lilian Thuram - could potentially secure a pre-contract agreement ahead of a departure at the end of the campaign, or secure an exit for a cut-price fee in the winter window.
As the report suggests, however, that fact has also sparked the interest of other clubs in England, with Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur all named as possible rival suitors for the former Guingamp machine.
Can be a "monster" in Qatar
The Parma-born "monster" - as described by Herve Renard - could well add to that list of interested parties were he to shine for his country in the coming weeks, having been named in Didier Deschamps' squad for Qatar as Les Blues' 26th pick.
While not likely to be a regular at the tournament due to his relative inexperience at international level, Thuram's chances of being involved have been bolstered by the unfortunate injury to fellow striker, Karim Benzema, with the aforementioned Deschamps opting against calling up a replacement.
As journalist Raj Chohan stated, the "clinical" ace could now have a chance to "make an impact" for the World Cup holders due to the Real Madrid man's absence, with the £54k-per-week ace set to be a quality understudy to veteran hotshot, Olivier Giroud, to lead the line.
The Gladbach talisman heads into the tournament having shone at club level so far this term, scoring 13 goals in just 17 appearances across all fronts thus far, including ten goals in just 15 games in the Bundesliga.
That tally has only been bettered by compatriot and RB Leipzig figurehead, Christopher Nkunku (12) - who has also been struck down by injury in recent days - while Thuram's overall tally for his current side now stands at 41 goals and 26 assists in just 119 outings.
Such a lethal presence could well add further firepower to Eddie Howe's ranks at St James' Park, with the Tynesiders currently reliant on Callum Wilson to lead the line, albeit with Englishman having been plagued by injury in his time at the club to date.
While the northeast side do have club-record asset Alexander Isak stepping up his return from injury, there is a world in which he could well feature alongside Thuram in attack, with the latter man having featured heavily off the left flank in his career to date.
As Newcastle are potentially set to see over the next few weeks, the towering forward is a player of real quality who can truly make the difference in the final third, with such an addition potentially only set to help in the push for Champions League qualification.