Championship outfit Hull City are set to secure the loan signing Manchester City midfielder Matthew Smith in the coming days, according to Hull Live.
The 21-year-old Welsh international made 43 competitive appearances for Doncaster Rovers on loan last term as he impressed at the Keepmoat Stadium and with this, is now set to make the move up a tier with Pep Guardiola ready to approve this deal.
This isn't Smith's first time in the second tier though, with Queens Park Rangers opting to take him on a season-long loan during the 2019/20 season.
After this move proved to be reasonably unsuccessful, having only made just eight Championship appearances at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium and having his loan cut short, he has since spent time in the third tier with Charlton Athletic and Doncaster where he was able to get a full season of senior football under his belt with the latter.
He will now be moving to a Hull City side who are currently operating under an EFL-imposed transfer embargo - but have managed to secure six signings this summer as Grant McCann tries to build a team capable of staying in the second tier.
And though fellow central midfielders Andy Cannon and George Moncur have already arrived at the MKM Stadium in the past few months, the East Yorkshire club have felt the need to bolster this position further.
As per the Hull Live report, the Welshman is set to put pen to paper in the next 48 hours as he aims to be ready for the Tigers' opening league game against Preston North End.
The Verdict:
This is a cracking signing bearing in mind the newly-promoted Championship side are still operating in an embargo - and considering how keen Man City boss Guardiola is for the 21-year-old to get first-team football - this will probably turn out to be a cheap deal.
The financial resources City have at the Etihad Stadium means they are unlikely to have demanded a loan fee for Smith to take him to East Yorkshire - and may have even decided to take on the small burden of his wages on the condition he plays regularly in the second tier.
This potential clause in the deal stating he needs to play a minimum number of minutes might be the only drawback of this deal, because this cheap loan is likely to allow McCann to continue strengthening other areas despite recruiting someone of the Welsh international's calibre.
His experience at senior international level is likely to come in handy for the Tigers are they look to stay afloat in a competitive division and will help to provide a barrier in front of Nathan Baxter's goal.