Liverpool are reportedly considering an audacious swoop for Newcastle United machine Bruno Guimaraes, who has arguably been the centrepiece of the Tyneside club's resounding revival.
Signing for the Magpies for £40m in January 2022, arriving from French Ligue 1 outfit Lyon, Guimaraes swiftly asserted himself as an integral cog in manager Eddie Howe's system.
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is in the market for midfielders, and he's targeting the cream of the crop.
According to Spanish outlet AS, the Reds manager would be willing to part with £85m to facilitate the Brazilian's arrival, with his outfit having hit a bump in the road this season and seen progress derailed.
James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita are all leaving Anfield in a matter of months with their contracts set to expire, while stricken loanee Arthur is also on the way out.
It is important to regard, however, United's likely qualification for the Champions League this season, perched in third place, four points above Liverpool ahead of the Reds' trip to Leicester City on Monday.
Should Klopp's outfit fail to secure a seventh successive season in Europe's premier competition, there is no reason why Guimaraes should switch such a free-firing and affluent outfit that has clinched Champions League football ahead of schedule.
Who could Bruno Guimaraes replace at Liverpool?
While there is set to be ample room freed up in the Merseyside club's midfield this summer, the arrival of someone of Guimaraes' ilk could displace the first-team regulars, such is the scope of his skill set.
Prior to the weekend, the 25-year-old recorded a 7.25 rating in the Premier League last season, as per Sofascore, arriving in January, scoring five goals from 11 starts, completing 86% of his passes and making 2.6 tackles per game.
This term, while he has only scored three times from 28 starts, he is just as impressive and boasts a 7.13 average rating, completing 84% of his passes, making 2.4 tackles per match and supplying five assists.
Lauded as "world-class" by teammate Dan Burn, Guimaraes ranks among the top 17% of midfielders across Europe's big five leagues over the past 365 days for rate of assists, the top 19% for shot-creating actions, the top 17% for progressive passes and the top 13% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref, illustrating the dynamism and energy of his output that could enrich Liverpool's fortunes.
The £120k-per-week phenom could be the perfect man to take over from Curtis Jones, who is perhaps unlikely to be deemed irreplaceable in the Reds midfield, especially when presented with the potential acquisition of a first-rate star such as Guimaraes.
The Liverpool ace ranks among the top 4% of positional peers for pass completion, as well as the top 8% for progressive carries and the top 14% for shot-creating actions per 90, described as the "complete #8" by one analyst & scout. However, he is arguably nowhere near the stature of Guimaraes, who has performed on the European and international stages.
With similarities easily drawn between the respective aces, Liverpool could sign a huge upgrade in Guimaraes and a player who could slot sweetly into the fold at Anfield.