Barcelona have their sights set on snapping up a young central defender of world-class quality this summer, and latest reports have indicated John Stones, Aymeric Laporte and Marquinhos have all made their shortlist.
ESPN FC's Philip Costa cited the Mirror's Ed Malyon, who claimed the Blaugrana have given up in their hunt to sign Juventus star Paul Pogba and will instead concentrate on strengthening their defence.
It was understood Barca had an "outlined agreement" that would have allowed them to sign Pogba in a deal worth somewhere in the region of £85 million, the same fee Real Madrid paid Tottenham Hotspur to sign Gareth Bale in 2013.