Reports emanating from Holland suggest Sunderland are interested in signing Dutch international and Feyenoord captain Jordy Clasie. Apparently Feyenoord have even lined up a replacement in the form of Marko Vejinovic.
As ever, there is little in the way of facts surrounding these reports. However it would seem logical that Lee Congerton is looking closely at the situation. Irrespective of how ambitious any potential transfer may be, it's recognised Clasie is an emerging young talent and this seems to be commensurate with those already linked with us this summer.
The young central midfielder is sure to attract much attention during the transfer window and it's certain SAFC won't be his only suitor. Indeed Southampton's coach Ronald Koeman has already made it known earlier this month he would be interested in signing Clasie as a replacement for Schneiderlin should the Saint depart for a top four side.
So what do we know about Clasie?
Well, any transfer fee is likely to be around the £8-10million mark, possibly lower if, as is being reported, the Dutch side are definitely looking for a quick sale.
The Feyenoord man, who one website labelled ‘The Dutch Xavi' a few years back, is a central midfielder but has also been deployed on the right hand side at times. He's captained the club since around November 2013.
Clasie is also quite small in stature and, at around 5'7", would struggle to measure up to the likes of Manchester City's Yaya Toure in the midfield engine room. However, height is obviously only one attribute a football player can find useful in the Premier League and is certainly not as important as skill on the ball which, in the Eredivisie at least, he appears to have in abundance.
During his tenure Di Canio stated that we needed someone to be the ‘keys' in respect of unlocking an opposition's defence and a midfielder who has ability to pick a pass is something we've been lacking for some time. But, if we're honest, successfully filling this void has been problematic for some considerable time before that.
Southampton and no doubt a few other clubs will be amongst those trying to persuade the Dutchman to join them. So, could Advocaat help entice his fellow countryman to Wearside instead?
Possibly, but any deal will surely only come to fruition once all offers have been weighed up by Clasie and his representatives. Whether Feynoord are looking to move him on quickly or not, don't expect this one to be resolved soon.
However it looks like we're in there fighting and at this stage of the transfer window, that's all we can realistically expect.