Christopher Jullien is being heavily linked with Celtic, but the Toulouse defender would prefer to join former team-mate Paul Pogba in the Premier League if given the choice this summer.
The 26-year-old is said to be a £7 million ($9m) target for Neil Lennon and the Scottish champions.
Jullien, though, would rather head south of the border if a move is made to British football.
He has previously tasted U20 World Cup glory alongside a star turn on the books at Manchester United and would welcome the opportunity to go head-to-head with a player he knows well.
Quizzed on his future ambition and association with Pogba, Jullien said in the Evening Times: "I grew up playing against Paul Pogba from the age of 13 onwards and we were both at Torcy at different times.
"We were both captains of our clubs and I still have pennants in my old house that we exchanged.
"So to be a part of that team who won the World Cup with Paul was brilliant for me."
He added: "I have never hidden my desire that one day I will be playing in the English Premier League.
"I am friends with Issa Diop at West Ham and he has told me why it's the best league in the world and very exciting to play in.
"But maybe that is for the future. At Toulouse, I would only award ourselves maybe five out of 20 as a mark for the season.
"We ended up fighting against relegation and with a squad with as much talent as we had, we should have done better.
"I try to improve my concentration levels and my leadership skills every season because it's very important to my job.
"I would also like to be stronger aerially. It's a little presumptuous, but I want to become impassable. That's my ultimate objective in my head.
"For me, I don't know what my future brings. I will leave that to the club and my agents."
Jullien has been on the books at Toulouse since 2016, with a return to his native France made after a spell in Germany with Freiburg.
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