Premier League clubs have been put on red alert over the potential availability of Borussia Dortmund manager Thomas Tuchel after an alleged falling out with chief scout Sven Mislintat.
TheDaily Mirror claims that the pair's relationship has broken down completely after a heated argument over the failed signing of Porto loanee Oliver Torres.
Reports now suggest that one of the duo is likely to depart the Westfalonstadion in the near future, with Tuchel the more likely to leave despite having 18 months to run on his current deal at the club.
Dortmund general manager Michael Zorc is thought to be desperate to keep hold Mislintat, who has been integral in the recruitment of key Dortmund stars, such as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and former striker Robert Lewandowski, amid interest from fellow Bundesliga side Hamburg.
Zorc is ready to hand Mislintat a new role as 'Head of Professional Football' in a bid to ward off interest from Hamburg - a move that could pave the way for Tuchel's exit.
The 43-year-old took over from Jurgen Klopp upon the now-Liverpool boss' departure, and led Dortmund to a second place finish in his maiden campaign in charge.
Die Borussen currently sit fourth in the 2016/17 table with 12 points from six matches, and are viewed as the main challengers to Bayern Munich's title defence once more thanks to a wealth of talent at Tuchel's disposal.
Tuchel had been keen to acquire the services of Atletico Madrid starlet Torres to replace the outgoing Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who was stalling on signing a new deal before eventually being sold to Manchester United.
However, Mislintat, whose other notable acquisitions include Shinji Kagawa and Andre Schurrle, as well as bringing Mario Gotze back home from rivals Bayern, was not keen on signing the 22-year-old, with the fallout now leading to Tuchel and Mislintat no long being on speaking terms.
Mislintat still plays a key role in scouting future opponents for Dortmund, as well as helping to oversee recruitment at the eight-time league champions, but the 43-year-old talent spotter no longer converses with Tuchel over the disagreement concerning Torres.
Mislintat has been instrumental in helping Dortmund sign bright, young talents ahead of European giants such as Real Madrid and Bayern, with the likes of Emre Mor and Ousman Dembele opting to put pen-to-paper on terms with Dortmund since he joined the club in 2009.
And, with the ex-Luner SV player now set for a more prominent role at Dortmund, Tuchel is more than likely to be the fall guy in this particular saga.
Join the conversation by following Tom Power on twitter!