Barcelona are closely monitoring the situation of Manchester United's teenage sensation Alejandro Garnacho, according to reports in Spanish publication Fichajes.
Garnacho's contract at Manchester United runs out in 2023 and with the renewal not yet finalized, the Blaugrana are hoping to jump in and sign the talented Argentina star.
The highly rated 18-year-old youngster has had a breakout season this campaign and has already made 7 senior appearances for Manchester United. His performances, especially against Real Sociedad and Aston Villa in the last three matches, have caught the eye, with some suggesting that Garnacho is even higher than Jadon Sancho in the pecking order at the moment.
Although Barcelona's main transfer targets are said to be in defense and midfield, the report claims that Xavi also wants to have more options in attack and build a team for the future.
Another important factor is that Garnacho also has a European passport and it will be easy for Barcelona to register the Manchester United youngster if he does indeed end up moving to Camp Nou in 2023.
Barcelona set to face Manchester United in a blockbuster Europa League clash
Manchester United and Barcelona are set to face off against each other in the UEFA Europa League, in what promises to be a tasty encounter between the two European giants.
Barcelona endured a miserable UEFA Champions League group stage as they failed to qualify for the knockouts after suffering damaging defeats against Bayern Munich and Inter Milan.
Manchester United, on the other hand, lost out on the top spot in their group to Real Sociedad despite finishing with the same points as the Spanish side had a superior goal difference.
With both teams in a stage of transition, it will be interesting to see how the match pans out. Robert Lewandowski and Cristiano Ronaldo (if he stays in January) could have a huge impact on the outcome, but youngsters like Ansu Fati and Alejandro Garnacho will also be keen to make a mark.