Reports: Barcelona eyeing a surprise move for Paul Pogba alternative

What's the rumour?

According to The Sun, Barcelona have rekindled their interest in Manchester United midfielder Ander Herrera as he nears the end of his contract.

If the aforementioned report is to be believed, the Spain international could sign a pre-contract agreement in January when he will be free to hold talks with other European clubs. The British publication further claims that Herrera is said to be frustrated at a lack of progress made with regard to his contract extension at the Old Trafford.

In case you didn't know...

Ander Herrera's current contract with the Red Devils will expire in the summer, leaving several teams monitoring the player's situation ahead of next season.

La Blaugrana are one such club who have already expressed interest in the 29-year-old as they reportedly wished to sign him last year. However, the deal fell through and no move transpired.

The heart of the matter

The former Athletic Bilbao star has fallen down the pecking order under Jose Mourinho with big-name signings including the likes of Paul Pogba, Nemanja Matic and Fred making game time hard to come by for the Spaniard. As such, this could now lead to a departure.

So far, Herrera has made 163 outings for the Premier League outfit during which, he has notched up 17 goals and engineered 24 assists in total. A few years back, he was one of the most exciting prospects in world football, although the recent seasons have significantly dented that status.

Ander Herrera would definitely be an excellent addition to Barca's squad owing to his passing abilities and experience. Besides, he would bring good depth to the squad and would be available on a free to boot.

Rumour probability: 4/10

The source of the report makes it iffy.

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What's next?

If Manchester United are determined to hold on to their Spanish ace, the club will have to make haste apropos of his contract situation.