Championship club Swansea City are monitoring Portsmouth star Marcus Harness ahead of a potential move during the summer transfer window, according to this afternoon's report from The News.
The 26-year-old has been in fine form for Pompey this term, recording 11 goals and six assists in 40 league games, proving to be a crucial player to the cause on the south coast and this has been noticed by other sides.
Blackburn Rovers are one side that are thought to be interested in the midfielder - who has played centrally and out wide this term - but they aren't the only side who are monitoring his current situation.
As per The News, Swansea City have also joined the race for Harness who was previously set to leave on the expiration of his current contract at Fratton Park this term.
However, the League One outfit have an option to extend his deal by a further 12 months, a clause they look set to trigger as they look to retain him or sell him on for a transfer fee.
This afternoon's report has also revealed that the third-tier side rejected an offer for their talisman back in January, with Pompey still pushing for a place in the top six at that point as they sought to redeem themselves for last season's top-six heartbreak.
However, they finished in 10th position and with that, they will be plying their trade in the third tier once again next season, potentially opening the door to a second-tier transfer in the coming months.
The Verdict:
In fairness to the Swans, they already have an advantage over Blackburn in the race at this stage with Tony Mowbray's departure set to leave them managerless after this weekend's final game of the season.
They will also have plenty of room for manoeuvre in terms of financial rules because they have cashed in on some of their prized assets in recent years, allowing them to spend relatively freely in the transfer market.
But how much they spend this summer will depend on the club's board - and although keeping key players may mean not spending as much - some funds should be made available for Martin to get some of his top targets over the line.
They can't rebuild effectively without these funds in place - and Harness could potentially be a difference-maker with his goalscoring contributions - potentially lining up alongside Jamie Paterson and just behind Joel Piroe or Michael Obafemi in a 3-4-2-1 system.
Even if he has to bide his time at the Swansea.com Stadium for a while, this is a move that could be beneficial for the 26-year-old in his quest to take the step up to the second tier, because one injury or suspension could allow him to claim a starting spot if he hasn't managed to force his way into the first 11 already.