Barcelona have reportedly urged RB Leipzig attacker Dani Olmo not to sign a new deal with the German giants in order to move back to Camp Nou as a free agent in 2024.
The Spain international was on the books in Barca's La Masia academy between 2007 and 2014, but he left without managing to break into the first team.
Olmo subsequently made a name for himself at Dinamo Zagreb before earning a €29m (£25.5m) move to Leipzig in January 2020, penning a four-and-a-half year deal at the Red Bull Arena.
However, the 24-year-old is yet to agree to a renewal, and as things stand he will be able to depart on a free transfer at the end of next season.
Olmo recently announced his desire to return to his homeland amid links with a return to Barcelona, telling Bild in January: "I have a contract until 2024. Right now I don't think about that, only about the next games. We have three competitions ahead of us.
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"Things happen so fast in football, things can change all the time. I have my adviser who takes care of it. Me I only focus on football.
"I want to go back to Spain some day, it would be great. It is my country, my league. My family and friends live there. But I am not only tied to Spain.
"The most important thing for me is to play in a club where I feel loved and important. Like here in Leipzig. I played for Barcelona for six years when I was young. It will always be a home for me. A lot of my friends from the national team play there."
With Barcelona once again scouring the market for cut-price deals and free transfers, Mundo Deportivo claims that the club have personally pleaded with Olmo not to sign a new contract with Die Roten Bullen.
Barca manager Xavi was reportedly among club chiefs to have spoken with Olmo's entourage during the 2022 World Cup, and they expressed their desire to bring him back to Camp Nou.
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However, Barcelona also made the 24-year-old's representatives aware of their financial predicament, and as such they requested that he leave Leipzig on a free transfer in 2024 rather than depart for a fee this summer.
Olmo is said to be leaning towards not signing a new contract at Leipzig, but Barcelona are not alone in their pursuit of the Spain international, as the report adds that Bayern Munich and Real Madrid could try to sign him in the upcoming transfer window.
The German and Spanish champions can expect to be quoted €40m (£35.2m) for the former Zagreb attacker - which would not be a problem for either club - but Barcelona would struggle to meet Leipzig's demands and could be powerless to prevent Olmo moving elsewhere this year.
Bayern were initially at an advantage when Julian Nagelsmann was in charge - the German was the one who brought Olmo to the Red Bull Arena - and he is now being tipped to succeed Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid.
Olmo has posted 20 goals and 24 assists in 112 outings for Leipzig over the past three years, including four goals and six assists from 20 games in a disrupted 2022-23 season.
The 30-cap Spain international scored his sixth goal for his country in Saturday's 3-0 Euro 2024 qualifying win over Norway, but he could be dropped for tonight's Group A clash with Scotland following his recent return from injury.
Ben Knapton
