Borussia Dortmund are reportedly said to have entered the race for Werder Bremen young gun Karim Coulibaly, who is also watched by European giants such as PSG, Chelsea and Real Madrid.
According to German news outlet BILD, the BVB's new sporting director Nils-Ole Book is said to have identified the 18-year-old as a potential recruitment to strengthen their defense.
Born in 2007, Coulibaly broke into Werder Bremen's senior team this season after coming through the ranks at their youth academy, where he spent a year honing his skills.
The teenager has made 24 appearances in the Bundesliga this season, starting 21 of those. Had it not been for a couple of injury concerns, the number would have surely been higher.
Werder Bremen head coach Daniel Thioune entrusted his faith in Coulibaly early on and the Germany-born centre-back has repaid it and then some.
Pacy, strong in possession and excellent at passing, he has already made a strong impression as one of the most promising young players in the division.
Going by transfer rumors, it has certainly not gone unnoticed among some of Europe's big guns, including Dortmund who could come knocking for him in the summer.
Nico Schlotterbeck could leave the Signal Iduna Park this summer despite only signing a contract extension this month that keeps him at the club until 2031.
But there's a small caveat - the Black and Yellows have included a €60 million release clause in his contract which could be activated by any potential suitor, particularly Real Madrid.
The Spanish giants are said to be admirers of Schlotterbeck and may contemplate on bringing him to Santiago Bernabeu next season following another potentially trophyless campaign.
Should the move indeed transpire, that could prompt Dortmund to step into the transfer market for a new centre-back who could take over the mantle of their defensive talisman.
Coulibaly might not be the most proven defender out there, but he remains hugely sought-after right now and has demonstrated his qualities at Werder Bremen this season.
Additionally, he's young. At 18, the player still has a lot of potential to develop further and Dortmund have a proven track record of nurturing young talents into world-beaters.
But as mentioned earlier, interests from PSG and Real Madrid could be a stumbling block as both sides have a bigger status in European football compared to Dortmund.
Plus, both teams come with the promise of trophies, while the BVB haven't lifted a silverware in almost six years.
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