Barcelona are considering a move for Manchester City defender Nicolas Otamendi with Pep Guardiola already targeting Ajax’s Matthijs de Ligt as his replacement.
The Argentinian has fallen down the pecking order at the Premier League champions with Aymeric Laporte and John Stones now the preferred partnership in the heart of the City defence.
Otamendi, 30, has managed a mere 10 appearances in the top flight this season and has now been linked with a return to Spain in January.
According to The Sun, Ernesto Valverde is keen to add the former Valencia man to his defensive ranks and it is claimed a deal could be agreed at £35million.
Guardiola has already identified a long-term replacement though with Dutch sensation De Ligt a serious target.
The Ajax defender, valued at around £50m, has been coveted by Europe’s elite and continues to be linked with a move away from the Dutch capital.
Bayern Munich are said to be leading the race for his signature while Barcelona, who earlier this week announced the signing of De Ligt’s team-mate and good friend Frenkie de Jong, are also keen.
Earlier this week, Guardiola revealed Otamendi, who joined City in 2015 for £28m, was growing frustrated at his lack of game time.
He said: ‘He’s not happy. When he plays he’s happy, when he doesn’t play he’s not happy, but not just Otamendi, everybody. All of them.
‘We would like to [keep him], but it depends on the players and the agents. He’s a guy who plays with problems, with kicks, with muscular issues and always he’s there.
‘It’s incredible. What I said last season remains the same for me, it doesn’t matter if he plays more regularly than last season.