Rangers are close to pulling off a major coup as they close in on a loan deal for Manchester United winger Amad Diallo.
The Ivorian has a big reputation in European football, and it was only a year ago that the Red Devils fought off competition to land him in a £20m move from Atalanta, which could rise to almost double that if related add-ons are fulfilled.
He threatened a major breakthrough in the second half of last season and even scored in a Europa League knockout tie against AC Milan.
But the arrivals of Cristiano Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho have limited his chances so far this term and United boss Ralf Rangnick is seemingly keen to send him out on loan.
First-team football is the priority for Diallo and that's where Rangers come in, as the Scottish Express reported on Thursday that they are keen to sign him as a replacement for Ianis Hagi, who is out for the season with injury.
But what are Rangers getting in the 19-year-old? And how will he get on at Ibrox?
Who is Amad Diallo?
Amad Diallo Traore was born in Abidjan, the largest city in the Ivory Coast, but emigrated to Italy at a young age with his family during the Ivorian Civil War.
He began his football career with Italian side Boca Barco and was snapped up by Atalanta's academy when he was just 13.
By the age of 15, Diallo was already playing for the Under-17 side, and caught the eye when the Atalanta kids won the 2018/19 Campionato Primavera , largely thanks to his six goals and six assists.
A first-team debut was to follow, and Diallo's trickery and electric pace earned him his first senior goal just four minutes into his debut against Udinese in 2019 - becoming the first player born after the 2002 World Cup to score in Serie A.
As it happened, that would be his only goal for Atalanta, as Manchester United whisked him away in a big money deal before he could properly establish himself in the first-team.
They agreed a deal worth an initial €25m (£20m) plus add-ons in the summer of 2020 but he wouldn't arrive at Old Trafford until the following January.
At international level, he is yet to make his senior debut, though did go to the Olympics with his country of birth in the summer as they went out to Spain in the quarter-finals.
What is he like as a player?
What sets Diallo apart from other wingers of his generation is his fearlessness and unshakeable confidence in his own ability.
That explains how, just four minutes into his first game as a professional, he brought the ball in from the right flank, faced up to a Udinese defender, and thumped the ball into the bottom corner.
And it was a similar story on his first game for Manchester United as it took him just five minutes after coming off the bench to flick the Red Devils in front against AC Milan with a wonderful backwards header - which won United's goal of the month award.
He's not afraid to take things on himself, and while he's at his best when he's charging at defenders with the ball at his feet, he has plenty more in his locker than that.
Though he's only made a handful of appearances for United and Atalanta combined, he's played everywhere across the forward line and showed he's just as capable taking the ball outside and whipping it in as he is cutting inside and going himself.
There is a perceived lack of physicality to Diallo's game - at 5ft'8 with a slight frame, he doesn't look like the most imposing presence at a glance.
Yet he's recovered the ball 14 times in just over 300 minutes of senior football for Manchester United, hinting that he isn't afraid to put his electric pace to good use off the ball as much as on it.
A lack of big-game experience may be the drawback, and it makes it difficult to get an accurate read on just what he is capable of bringing to the table.
But that's why he is being sent out on loan after all, so he can rack up some minutes and return to Old Trafford and make his mark.
How does he compare to Rangers' current options?
Diallo is closer to Ryan Kent than Ianis Hagi in his style of play. While he does have Hagi's subtle creativity in his locker, he's at his best when he is unleashed to run directly at defenders and create havoc.
However Diallo also has some experience of playing centrally, and his ability to turn on the ball and make things happen could frame him as an alternative to Joe Aribo in the No.10 role.
His senior appearances for Manchester United are a small sample size to judge him on, but he already has a goal and an assist in just over 300 minutes of senior football.
Moreover, he has an expected assists rate of 0.27 for every 90 minutes he's played - meaning he should be setting up once every four games.
Bear in mind those stats are all taken from the Premier League, FA Cup and Europa League, and the relative drop down in standard coupled with a regular run in the team mean he could do some damage in the SPFL.
Will he be a good signing for Rangers?
The word from Fabrizio Romano is that Diallo's move to Rangers is a dry loan with no option to buy.
That can hardly be a surprise considering they shelled out £20m for him just one year ago.
But even still, it's a perfectly logical move. Gio van Bronckhorst needs someone to come in now and replace Hagi, and will want to reassess his options in the summer once the Romanian is back.
Signing Diallo on a straight six-month deal allows them to do just that, while he also offers a level of quality that simply wouldn't be available elsewhere.
Every signing carries risk and the physicality of the Scottish game might take some getting used to.
But on natural ability alone, Diallo is a cut above the usual calibre available to a Scottish side. If he's managed properly and arrives with a point to prove then it could be a very good signing indeed.
