For all the focus on incomings at Manchester United this summer, the Red Devils having seemingly been rather lax when it comes to shifting the 'deadwood' of late, with a number of uncertain futures still to be resolved.
While David De Gea has been the most high-profile departure following the expiry of his contract last month, the only noteworthy sale has been that of Alex Telles, with the left-back joining Cristiano Ronaldo at Al Nassr on a £4m deal.
One man whom United are also seemingly looking to shift is Telles' Brazilian colleague, Fred, with the 30-year-old midfielder having been valued at around £20m as Erik ten Hag and co look to recoup some much needed funds in order to invest elsewhere.
Having previously been branded "not good enough" by club legend Roy Keane, the £120k-per-week asset started just two of the final 13 Premier League games of the season after sliding down the pecking order, with a change of scenery now needed after five years at Old Trafford.
With partner-in-crime Scott McTominay also potentially up for grabs, new midfield recruits will seemingly be needed, hence the interest in Bayern Munich maestro, Joshua Kimmich.
What are the latest Man United transfer rumours?
According to reports in Spain late last week, the Red Devils are reportedly keen to make a move for the 28-year-old in order to strengthen in the centre of the park, with the former Stuttgart ace emerging as a 'priority' target.
The belief is that Bayern could be 'receptive' to the idea of allowing the 5 foot 10 ace to leave the Allianz Arena with just two years left to run on his current deal, thus allowing for Ten Hag to potentially pounce.
This search for a new midfielder has also brought out strong links to Fiorentina's Sofyan Amrabat – whom Ten Hag coached previously at Utrecht – although Kimmich could perhaps represent a better option as far as United are concerned.
Who is better Amrabat or Kimmich?
Lauded as an "absolutely phenomenal player" by former United boss Jose Mourinho, Kimmich has enjoyed a glittering eight-year spell in Bavaria, having won eight successive league titles as well as the Champions League in that time, among a raft of other honours.
A player who can be "a top right-back, left-back, centre-back, No.6, No.8, No.10" as he "has the qualities to be anything" – according to Mourinho – the German's versatility should certainly make him a more astute pick, ahead of both Fred and Amrabat.
Not only that, but in the Bundesliga last season, the £323k-per-week machine showcased his brilliance in the final third after scoring five times and registering six assists in 33 outings, having also created 11 big chances and averaged 2.7 key passes as a marker of his deep-lying creative threat.
Fred, by contrast, scored just twice and registered just two assists, while creating just four big chances and averaging 0.4 key passes per game in the Premier League, having struggled to make his mark at the top end of the pitch.
Amrabat, meanwhile, contributed just one goal involvement, created just one big chance and averaged only 0.4 key passes, while his defensive contribution of two tackles and interceptions per game was also behind that of Kimmich (3.4) – albeit while still bettering Fred (1.8).
A perhaps key facet of Amrabat's game is dictating the tempo of a game in midfield as he ranks in the top 5% among his European peers for pass completion, although his average of 7.93 progressive passes per 90 (top 8%) is still lower than that of Kimmich, with the latter man ranking in the top 1% at an average of 9.87 per 90 – further proof of his innate ball-playing brilliance.
Having been described as a player with the potential to "become the world's best player" in the past – according to former boss Hansi Flick – the Bayern sensation is a figure that Ten Hag would surely love to have on the books, despite his prior relationship with Amrabat.