Barcelona 'to make bid for Nicolas Otamendi'

Manchester City defender Nicolas Otamendi has reportedly emerged as a potential transfer target for Barcelona.

Otamendi has spent the last three-and-a-half years at the Etihad Stadium, with eight goals coming from a total of 156 appearances in all competitions.

However, the 30-year-old is no longer considered to be first choice by Pep Guardiola, and the City boss has acknowledged that the Argentina international is currently unhappy about his lack of match action.

According to The Sun, that has resulted in Barcelona identifying the centre-back as a potential addition during the January window.

City are unlikely to allow Otamendi to leave at the midway point of the campaign, and the Premier League champions remain in a strong position due to the player still having three-and-a-half years remaining on his contract.