Barcelona are eyeing Liverpool's Sadio Mane as a transfer replacement for Lionel Messi should their captain leave the club.
Messi has requested Barca terminate his contract this summer to enable him to move elsewhere with the likes of Man City, PSG, Inter Milan and Man Utd queuing up for his signature.
While Barcelona chiefs are confident of retaining their star man, they are already making contingency plans for his departure.
According to The Mail , the Spanish club have identified Senegalese frontman Mane as the perfect option to fill Messi's boots if and when he departs the Nou Camp.
Even Messi himself would give Mane the seal of approval, having nominated the Liverpool star for the FIFA Best Player award last year.
And it seems Mane is keen on a switch to Spain too, as TMW (via Sport ) report the 28-year-old would be willing to turn his back on Anfield to play for the Catalan giants.
Barcelona would have to stump up the cash to land Mane's services, with his asking price set at £107million.
That fee would not be a problem for Barca if they are able to sell Messi, but as it stands they risk losing him for nothing amid a contract wrangle.
Messi has asked to activate a clause in his deal which states he is able to leave at the end of the season on a free.
The issue is that as far as Barca are concerned the clause expired in June, making it null and void, but Messi will argue that it should still be active given the season has only just finished due to the coronavirus delay.
Should Messi get his wish, signing Mane could be more problematic for Barcelona, who lost around £200m in revenue last season.
Mane is contracted to Liverpool for another three years and the Merseyside club will certainly not be happy to lose one of their potent front three.
However at 28 there may not be a better time to sell him and the striker has long been linked with a switch to Barca's rivals Real Madrid.
Liverpool were looking to tie him down to a new long-term deal that would see him end his career at Anfield, but Mane may have other ideas if Barca become a serious option.
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