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Barcelona are plotting moves for Manchester City trio Aymeric Laporte, Ilkay Gundogan, and Gabriel Jesus ahead of the summer window, as per reports in Spain.
The Blaugrana are keen to bolster their squad after an underwhelming campaign and have identified the Cityzens stars as ideal candidates.
The defence has, in particular, been an area of concern for Barcelona. Gerard Pique is in the twilight years of his illustrious career, while the likes of Clement Lenglet and Samuel Umtiti have been highly inconsistent. They have also suffered from injuries over the last few years.
A move for Laporte could prove to be an immediate fix to a leaky backline. He could reportedly be available for a fee in the region of £50m. The recently-capped Spanish international is reportedly 'dissatisfied' with his current role at Manchester City.
John Stones has displaced Laporte as Pep Guardiola's first-choice defender with Ruben Dias. The pair started their UEFA Champions League final as well, with Laporte being an unused substitute.
The Barcelona target could be available in the transfer market this summer, and Ronald Koeman's men will try to lure him away from the Etihad Stadium. Reports also suggest that the Catalan giants are eyeing a move for Laporte's teammates Ilkay Gundogan and Gabriel Jesus this summer.
Barcelona were close to signing Gini Wijnaldum but have reportedly lost out on his signature to Paris Saint-Germain, who have doubled the salary on offer at the Nou Camp. With the Dutchman seemingly set to move to Paris on a free transfer, Barcelona have reportedly eyed up Gundogan as an alternative.
Barcelona have already reinforced their attack with Sergio Aguero and could possibly sign Memphis Depay in the coming weeks. However, should the circumstances allow for it, they could also sign Gabriel Jesus from City. The Brazilian has been linked with an exit from the Etihad, and Barcelona are monitoring his situation.
Barcelona to continue massive summer spree
It was clear that Barcelona needed reinforcements heading into the 2021-22 season, and the club have already kickstarted their summer spree.
They announced the signings of two Manchester City stars Eric Garcia and Sergio Aguero on free transfers over the last week. The Blaugrana also announced that Emerson Royal would be back in the squad after a loan spell at Real Betis to compete with Sergino Dest at right-back.
Although they have reportedly missed out on Wijnaldum, they are on the brink of signing Memphis Depay on a free transfer from Olympique Lyon. Additionally, Barcelona are also believed to be in the race to sign Gianluigi Donnarumma as a free agent.
Most importantly, this rebuild could give them a great chance of convincing Lionel Messi to remain at the club beyond the current summer. Widespread reports have also claimed that he could sign a new contract in the near future.
Also read: 5 High-profile transfers that have already been confirmed
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