Barcelona are reportedly considering challenging Real Madrid in their pursuit of Manchester City's Rodri. The Spain captain, who won the Golden Ball for the World Cup's best player, is in the final year of his contract.
Manchester City are thought to be willing to allow the 30-year-old midfielder to depart for around £60m. This comes as Real Madrid's weeks of talks with Rodri and his representatives have yet to yield an agreement, potentially opening a window for Barcelona.
Barcelona's interest in Rodri follows a knee injury to their midfielder Frenkie de Jong, which is expected to sideline him for several months. Rodri himself has recently undergone minor back surgery and is set to miss most of City's pre-season programme.
Meanwhile, Barcelona's attempts to sign Julián Alvarez from Atlético Madrid have been met with frustration, as Atlético insist the Argentina striker is not for sale. Ferran Torres, who scored the winning goal in the World Cup final, is also awaiting contract extension talks with Barcelona.