Barcelona have lodged a £67million bid for Monaco forward Wissam Ben Yedder as they look to provide cover for the injured Luis Suarez.
The Uruguayan frontman will be out of action for four months after undergoing knee surgery following the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia, and the Catalan outfit are in need of reinforcements as they scrap with Real Madrid for La Liga.
Barca have been looking at several forward options but have reportedly been rebuffed in their attempts to sign Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Leipzig’s Timo Werner.
The club are also keen on Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez, but they have now tested Monaco’s resolve by bidding for their talisman Ben Yedder, according to Foot Mercato in France.
Ben Yedder has been clinical in Ligue 1 this season and has 15 goals in all competitions from 18 games.
The 29-year-old only just signed for Monaco this season having joined for £33m from Sevilla, where he scored 30 goals last season.
Barcelona would have been impressed by what they saw of the forward during his time in LaLiga, and now his continued hotstreak in front of goal has been enough to convince them to make an offer.
Club officials met with their Monaco counterparts and Ben Yedder’s agent, the report claims, but the club are said to be unwilling to part ways with their key man and do not want to sell up this month.
Monaco are also having to contend with bids for forward Islam Slimani, with Tottenham and Manchester United, who are short on forward options themselves, rumoured to hold an interest.
