Cardiff City are keen on signing Manchester City youngster Tommy Doyle.
The central midfielder spent the first half of the season out on loan at Bundesliga 2 club Hamburger SV, where a certain Robert Glatzel now plies his trade, but was brought back to Manchester owing to a lack of game-time for the German club.
He didn't start a single league game and made only six substitute appearance, totalling just 73 minutes of action, and is now in desperate need of playing time elsewhere.
That, it is hoped, will be at Cardiff City.
The Bluebirds sorely lack creativity in the middle of the park, an area which has needed addressing for a number of years.
While Cardiff have some experienced and talented central midfield players, there is an argument to say they are all of a very similar mould.
Whether Doyle, at 20, would provide an injection of creativity and go-forward remains to be seen, but it is positive that Cardiff are looking to address an area of the squad which has been neglected for so long.
There has been a visible difference in the way Cardiff have played under Steve Morison. They are enjoying far more possession and are moving the ball through the lines far better than they have for quite some time. Midfielders are having a far more pronounced role than they have for quite some time at Cardiff City Stadium.
READ MORE: All the latest Cardiff City news, views, features and interviews
Recruiting the right players to carry out such a game plan is now the next step. Doing so, given the budgetary constraints, is where the task gets tricky.
But Morison has his first chance to start shaping his side to play the football he wants, a style many hope will see them improve in the long term.
Doyle might be only a short-term fix but it does appear to be a statement of intent from the manager, who will not rest on his laurels of experienced pros and is willing to take a leap of faith to address an area of concern.
The problem Doyle's potential arrival throws up, though, is that it adds even more competition in the most congested area of the Bluebirds' squad.
In Joe Ralls, Will Vaulks, Marlon Pack, Leandro Bacuna, Ryan Wintle, Sam Bowen and Tom Sang, Cardiff currently have seven central midfield players battling for two or three places in the starting XI.
Wintle was brought back from his excellent loan spell at Blackpool presumably because Cardiff saw him playing a crucial part in the second half of the season. So, one would think he is likely to get his fair share of games.
Ralls has probably been Cardiff's most consistent midfielder for some time now and even dons the captain's armband in the absence of Sean Morrison.
It means the battle will be highly concentrated between the other five remaining midfielders as well as potential new-boy Doyle.
There has been little interest in Cardiff's senior players from elsewhere so far in this window, but one suspects that if offers come in for any of the midfielders they would have to be seriously considered if the squad balance is to be addressed. To boot, Ralls, Vaulks and Pack are out of contract this summer.
It's a delicate time for the club, with the manager, whose deal also runs only until the end of the season, trying to construct a winning team which can get his side out of a relegation battle. It's all a little short term, underpinned by Cardiff moving for these loan deals, which is entirely understandable but can also be a little destabilising.
But if we can read anything into the club's transfer blueprint following the arrival of Cody Drameh, who put in an impressive debut display against Blackburn Rovers on Saturday, it's that Cardiff are being decisive in bringing in players to thrive in Morison's system.
That could mean that senior players in midfield will fall by the wayside, at least for the next few months, but big calls have to be made to get the club out of this predicament.
We have already seen that Morison is prepared to make strong statements over players or facets of the squad which have been under-performing and that looks set to continue with his transfer strategy.
Cardiff's midfield has needed a revamp for some time and Morison is looking to address that with his interest in Doyle. Should they get the deal over the line, the ripples will certainly be felt by some senior members already in situ.
For the latest Cardiff City news and analysis delivered straight to your inbox, you can sign up for our newsletter here.
