Aston Villa are considering a January move for FC Mainz goalkeeper Loris Karius, per reports in the Telegraph.
It's believed that manager Tim Sherwood is running out of patience with current number one 'keeper Brad Guzan, who he was close to replacing in the summer window, where Villa signed 13 players.
Guzan on the way out?
Sherwood seemingly isn't a huge fan of Guzan, who he dropped for the FA Cup final, and pursued the likes of Asmir Begovic in the summer, before the Bosnian shot-stopper moved to Chelsea.
Two goalkeepers were eventually signed, in Mark Bunn and Matija Sarkic, however the former has proved to only be a backup choice, whilst Sarkic is one for the future.
Now, with Guzan having made some errors that have contributed to the Villans starting the season poorly, the manager has his eye on a replacement.
Who is Karius?
Karius, 22, was part of the Manchester City youth setup before moving back to his native Germany to link up with Mainz. He's played 62 times for them since 2012, and is capped at youth level for Die-Mannschaft.
Standing at around 6ft 2", he's part of a huge list of talented German goalkeepers currently playing in Europe, alongside Manuel Neuer, Rene Adler, Bernd Leno, Kevin Trapp, Timo Horn and more. It's thought that he'll cost Villa in the region of £5million, due to his current Mainz contract running until 2018.
Whether or not Sherwood will still be at Villa to force through the transfer, remains another story all together. The pressure on him is increasing following a disastarous start to the season for Villa, who have won just one of their first eight Premier League games.
Owner Randy Lerner won't tolerate another relegation battle following huge investment in the summer, as he spent over £50million on revitalising Villa's squad. If the poor form continues, he may well spend more money on bringing in a new manager.