Barcelona are reportedly considering a shock move for out-of-favour Manchester United defender Matteo Darmian.
Darmian, 29, made just seven appearances last season and has been left out of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's squad for their trip to Norway in pre-season.
He is heavily expected to depart this summer having been linked with a move back to Italy or a switch to Valencia.
But according to ESPN , he is now being considered as a low-cost alternative as Barcelona look to add cover at left-back entering the new campaign.
They have closed in on a move for Real Betis full-back Junior Firpo, which Ernesto Valverde wants to push through, but if they miss out then Darmian could be pursued.
Augsburg's Philipp Max and Bayern Munich ace David Alaba are both options but would come at a significant cost, whilst Bayern have already highlighted their reluctance to discuss terms over Alaba.
The Nou Camp club have decided existing players Marc Cucurella and Juan Miranda are not up to scratch, discarding them to Getafe and their B team respectively.
They also missed out on Liverpool's Alberto Moreno and Filipe Luis, leaving Darmian as their ideal budget option if required.
Barcelona are believed to want a new left-back signed before their departure to the United States next Monday, and with their move for Firpo stalling they could instead turn their attentions to Darmian.
Alba remains their only recognised left-back with just three weeks remaining until the start of their latest La Liga season, and they have had to use make-shift options so far in pre-season highlighting the need for a new addition.
