It remains uncertain whether Ilkay Gündoğan will renew his contract with Manchester City, especially following the club’s achievement in 2022/23.

The German international led the team to the treble as the Cityzens finally won the UEFA Champions League after an initial unsuccessful attempt.

However, what seems to be unsolved is the future of the player as he is yet to extend his contract with the club, fueling a potential exit in the summer with Barcelona as the primary destination.

But the Blaugrana have already lined up an alternative if they fail to get the midfielder in the summer transfer window, as this becomes increasingly unlikely even though he is yet to put pen to paper.

According to Relevo via Fichajes, Alex Baena is FC Barcelona’s next target. The Villarreal CF midfielder is said to be admired at the Camp Nou stadium.

But getting the loyal servant of the Yellow Submarines could be a complex task for the club’s top hierarchy, and why could this trouble the club?

Baena, 21, has a contract with Villarreal until the summer of 2028. It would take a considerable offer from Barcelona to convince the club to consider a possible player sale.