Fulham and Aston Villa are in a four-way battle to sign Barnsley contract rebel Josh Scowen.
Scowen is available on a free transfer this summer after deciding to reject the new deal offered to him by the Tykes.
And that has alerted a host of Championship clubs who all want to snap up the 24-year-old midfielder.
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Barnsley were desperate to keep hold of the the right-sided player they signed from Wycombe in a £240,000 deal in 2015.
But Scowen is understood to be keen on joining a club capable of mounting a promotion challenge next season and has decided Barnsley cannot match his ambitions.
That has alerted Villa and Fulham who both believe the midfielder could be a valuable addition to their squads as they look to fight for promotion next season.
But they also face competition from Wolves and Brentford who have made contact with the player and are ready to put a package together to sign him.
The quartet are all understood to be willing to come up with a deal of around £9,000-a-week to sign Scowen, who has proven himself as one of the unsung talents of the Championship.