Atletico Madrid have reportedly identified Aston Villa right-back Matty Cash as a replacement for Kieran Trippier.
According to The Athletic, the reigning LaLiga champions are looking to bolster their options at the position after Trippier moved to Newcastle in a £12 million deal earlier this month.
While Villa are understood to be not willing to entertain offers in the January transfer window, that may not be enough to deter Atletico from making a formal approach in the summer.
Cash joined Villa from Nottingham Forest in August 2020 for £14.2 million and has since established himself as a regular at Villa Park, starting 28 of his 29 appearances for Villa last term.
So far this season, the 24-year-old has featured in the starting XI in each of his side's 21 Premier League games.
A tenacious defender capable of providing a consistent attacking threat in the mould of a modern full-back, Cash is considered such an important player by Villa and Steven Gerrard sees him as the club's first-choice right-back for the foreseeable future.
The right-back's versatility is also a major asset. Cash played as a right-sided midfielder during his five seasons at Forest and he was deployed in the position for five consecutive games between September and October in the current campaign.
The Poland international - Cash qualifies for Poland through his mother and made his debut in November in a World Cup qualifier against Andorra - has previously spoken of his admiration for the brand of football Gerrard has tried to implement at Villa since replacing Dean Smith in November.
'It’s brilliant to be out there training with them every day, and playing under him is superb,' he said.
'The way we want to play – attacking sharp football – is brilliant, it suits me down to the ground.
'He’s got a presence. When he’s in the room everyone listens. It’s great to be playing under him.'
After allowing Trippier to return to the Premier League following three seasons in Spain, Atletico's main options at right-back are Croatia international Sime Vrsaljko and Marcos Llorente.
The former has been at Atletico since 2016 but has made just 85 appearances in five years and has featured in only eight LaLiga games this season, making only two starts.
Llorente, meanwhile, is a central midfielder by trade, who can occasionally operate on the right flank either as midfielder or further back.