Manchester United have reportedly opened talks with Porto over the sale of Joao Moutinho - but face competition from Tottenham.
Moutinho has been linked with a move to the Premier League for some time, with Chelsea also keen on signing the Portugal international, who was in superb form for his country at Euro 2012 last month.
Man Utd see the 25-year-old as a possible alternative to Tottenham playmaker Luka Modric, but according to the Daily Mail, they face competition from Spurs, who earlier this week appointed former Porto coach Andre Villas-Boas as their new manager.
Chelsea, who also see Moutinho as an alternative to Modric, first became keen on signing the midfielder when Villas-Boas quit Porto to take charge at Stamford Bridge last summer.
Moutinho has a £40million buy-out clause in his contract, but clubs are hoping Porto could be tempted to sell for a fee in the region of £25m.
United boss Sir Alex Ferguson this week admitted he is hoping to bring in two more signings this summer and it is believed another creative midfielder is top of his shopping list.
"We're working on one or two things but there's nothing really to tell you to be honest," he told MUTV.
"We always try to get our work done at the end of the season – we spent a good deal of time sorting the deal with Shinji [Kagawa] and we'd agreed a deal with Nick Powell before the play-offs which was a good move by us because the boy had an outstanding final at Wembley.
"When you don't get deals done immediately and you're negotiating with a club over a long period, then you can't expect to just snap your fingers and get it done."