Newly-appointed Everton head coach Ronald Koeman reportedly wants Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola's goalkeeping outcast, Joe Hart, moved to his side this summer with only weeks left before the transfer window closes.
The Sun reported that the City number 1 "may be on his way out" of the Etihad, but the former Southampton boss is ready to pick up the discarded goal tender if Guardiola does not want him.
The report then said that Koeman is planning to get him via a season-long loan deal first before making the transfer permanent next summer.
Guardiola is said to be willing to sell Hart for £20 million any time as the Spanish mentor has already lined up any of the two FC Barcelona keepers, Claudio Bravo and Marc-Andre ter Stegen, as his dream replacement for the 29-year-old England international.
At the moment, last season's backup goalie, Willy Caballero, is the one being utilized by Guardiola in his starting eleven.
Rumors had been out that Hart was not Guardiola's preferred goalkeeper even before he arrived at the Etihad to replace Manuel Pellegrini earlier this summer.
However, the 6-foot-5 Shrewsbury, England native still wanted to fight for his spot this season and did not ask for a transfer. His future certainly looks bleak, though, after Guardiola left him on the bench in the team's Premier League season-opening 2-1 win over Sunderland last Saturday and also in their Champions League playoff round 5-0 victory over Steaua Bucharest on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Koeman is reportedly aiming to take "Everton to another level similar to what he did at Southampton" last term. The Saints finished at sixth place in the 2015-2016 English top flight table while Everton was down at the eleventh spot.
Koeman recently signed winger Yannick Bolasie and defender Ashley Williams from Crystal Palace and Swansea City respectively as he reinvested the Toffees' £47 million profit from selling center back John Stones to City earlier this month.
Caught Offside indicated that the 53-year-old Dutch mentor "has set his sights" on Hart to improve his goalkeeping options this season.
At the moment, Everton only has Maarten Stekelenburg and Joel Robles as his goal tenders after former starter Tim Howard moved to Major League Soccer team Colorado Rapids last June.