Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham players are all on the list.
Barcelona have turned their attention to the Premier League for a defensive signing this summer, with Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur stars all being targeted, reports Spanish publication Sport.
It’s been an up and down few months for the La Liga champions, with the acquisition of Neymar an obvious highlight, but the departures of David Villa and Thiago Alcantara for bargain prices not so positive.
The fans at the Nou Camp are also starting to become disgruntled, with an unceremonious 7-0 aggregate defeat by Bayern Munich dumping the Catalans out of the Champions League last season and proving they are mere mortals after all.
There are bad feelings towards club president Sandro Rosell for letting young Spanish talents like Thiago leave the club and the club’s pursuit of defensive signings are proving difficult.
French champions Paris Saint-Germain are unwilling to allow Barca’s No.1 target Thiago Silva leave the Parc De Princes, but are also set to sign second choice Marquinhos from AS Roma.
This leaves the four-time European champions struggling for options with a centre-back an absolute priority.
As a result, it seems England has become the new destination to find a defender to solve the problem.
Daniel Agger – Liverpool.
The Dane has been linked with a switch to Catalonia before, but with the retirement of Jamie Carragher Reds manager Brendan Rodgers regards Agger as a key player.
It would therefore take a large bid to tempt the Merseyside club’s third highest paid player to Spain.
Laurent Koscielny – Arsenal.
Impressed at the Emirates Stadium but there is still an erratic streak to the Frenchman’s defending and the 27-year-old is prone to mistakes.
Again Arsene Wenger won’t want to sell and with Koscielny having a contract until 2017 the manager won’t have his hand forced.
Thomas Vermaelen – Arsenal.
The Belgian is still club captain at the Emirates Stadium, but was out-of-favour under Wenger last season and the 63-year-old could possibly be tempted into selling.
Vermaelen doesn’t have the height that Barca crave but the 27-year-old is good on the ball and would fit into the La Liga champions’ system.
Jan Vertonghen – Tottenham.
Perhaps the most complete defender of the bunch, with height, pace, skill and a good eye for positioning.
Vertonghen can also score goals as well, although having only spent a year at White Hart Lane Andre Villas-Boas will be unwilling to sell.
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