Barcelona identify Chelsea star as Eric Garcia alternative

Barcelona could make a winter move for Antonio Rudiger, should they fail in their attempt to sign Eric Garcia from Manchester City.

Garcia was fancied to join the Blaugrana last summer, but a deal failed to materialise after the Cityzens refused to lower their £30m price tag.

The Spaniard will enter the final six months of his contract in January and talks are apparently ongoing between the sides over a transfer.

According to Sport, the Catalan giants will sign a new centre-back this winter and they have a contingency plan, if they are unable to land Garcia.

Antonio Rudiger was previously on their radar when he was at AS Roma and the Blaugrana have identified him as a potential alternative.

Rudiger has experienced a tough 2020/21 campaign with the Blues and he has yet to play a single minute of football in the Premier League.

He is currently a regular in the Germany setup, but may be tempted to pursue a fresh challenge to cement his spot for Euro 2020.