After a big-spending summer, Barcelona look set to pick up where they left off, with three Premier League stars on their radar.
Xavi's team were busy over the summer, bringing in Raphinha, Andreas Christensen, Hector Bellerin and Marcos Alonso from Premier League clubs. They also added the likes of Robert Lewandowski and Jules Kounde in preparation for a title challenge and European run, but things haven't gone entirely to plan thus far.
While the league start is close to flawless, with Barca joint-top going into Sunday's Clasico against Real Madrid, a run of three winless games in a row has left them at risk of another early Champions League elimination. Now, as the January transfer window draws in, more Premier League players could be making their way to Camp Nou either in the winter or at the end of the season.
Barcelona's interest in Chelsea midfielder Jorginho came to light earlier this season, but he is not among the three new names claimed by Sport to be on the club's list. Jorginho's club teammate N'Golo Kante is one of the three, along with Manchester City's Ilkay Gundogan and Leicester City and Belgium star Youri Tielemans.
All of the players are out of contract at the end of the season, though there have been varying levels of reports about potential new deals. If none of them have agreed new terms with their respective clubs by the turn of the year, Barca may look to test the waters over pre-contract agreements.
In the case of Tielemans, though, an earlier move might be realistic. Leicester were said to be prepared to listen to offers for the former Monaco man on transfer deadline day, and a January offer could tempt the Foxes to part with a player who looks all but certain to be playing elsewhere next term.
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World Cup winner Kante, who was part of Chelsea's Champions League winning side in 2021, has been beset by injury problems this season. This hasn't stood in the way of interest from some of Europe's bigger clubs, though, with Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United also mentioned before the most recent Barcelona links.
Gundogan, meanwhile, appeared to open the door to a move at the end of last season. Despite helping Manchester City win the Premier League title, he admitted to wanting to play a little more than he did last term under Pep Guardiola.
"We will sit down together in due course and exchange our ideas and plans, and then we will see what comes out of it," the German said in May. "The question is whether and when I want to do something new again."
While central midfield remains a key area for Barcelona, it is not the only one in which they are keen to reinforce, according to Sport's report. They remain in the market for defensive recruits, with Manchester United's Diogo Dalot still a target along with centre-backs Inigo Martinez and Milan Skriniar.
