Barcelona are looking to create further competition in their full back areas and have identified Ferland Mendy as the man to push Jordi Alba.
The Spaniard turns 30 next March and Barca are looking to the future as they target the 23-year-old from Lyon.
The Frenchman would command a sizeable fee having become a regular fixture at the Ligue 1 club after joining from Le Havre in summer 2017.
According to Mundo Deportivo Barcelona scouts have been watching Mendy, and he is the player in that position who has most impressed them.
Mendy has made nine appearances so far this season for Lyon, and impressed during the 2-1 Champions League win at Manchester City last month.
In total he has played 44 times for the club, scoring on three occasions.
Alba has become a long-term fixture in the Barcelona setup ever since arriving from Valencia in 2012.
Reports in Spain suggest, though, that a move for Mendy is aimed at increasing competition instead of supplanting the Spanish international.
Alba has played 257 times for the Catalan giants, lifted the Champions League in 2015 and has won four league titles.