Barcelona and Manchester City are reportedly preparing to rival one another for the signature of a coveted Bundesliga attacker this summer.
RB Leipzig's Dani Olmo has proven his worth to Die Roten Bullen since arriving from Dinamo Zagreb in January 2020, having a direct hand in 63 goals in 145 matches in all tournaments.
The Spain international has conjured up 29 strikes of his own in addition to providing 34 assists, and he has scored eight goals while setting up five more in 22 games in the current season.
Despite being beset by injuries in recent times, the 25-year-old - who started all of Spain's matches at the 2022 World Cup - is still highly rated across Europe, and a move to a more revered continental giant has been mooted.
Amid the growing interest in his services, Leipzig agreed a contract extension with Olmo until the summer of 2027 last year, but their resolve will likely be tested by interested parties either way.
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Barca, Man City step up Olmo interest
According to Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona and Man City are the leading contenders to prise Olmo away from Germany this year, and both have accelerated their efforts to capture him.
Blaugrana sporting director Deco supposedly met with the playmaker's agents and father on Wednesday of this week, but only after Man City had also chaired a meeting with Olmo's entourage.
Leipzig may be powerless to prevent the Spaniard moving on this summer, as they supposedly agreed to insert a release clause of €60m (£51.8m) in his renewal last year.
Furthermore, Olmo is apparently ready to leave the Red Bull Arena in search of a new challenge this summer, and the Leipzig playmaker already possesses connections with the La Liga champions.
Olmo was on the books with Barca's famed academy from 2007 to 2014, but he failed to make a senior appearance for the club before joining Dinamo Zagreb, with whom he made his breakthrough.
Three other clubs keeping tabs on Olmo
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Despite letting the 25-year-old leave as a teenager, Barcelona have supposedly always kept an eye on his progress, and the Spanish champions are particularly keen on a reunion due to his versatility.
However, City are not the only competition that Xavi's side will face, as Arsenal and Chelsea are also rumoured to be monitoring the situation, as are Atletico Madrid.
Neither of the two London clubs are thought to have earmarked Olmo as a serious target, though, as signing an out-and-out striker is the top item on both sides' agenda.
On the back of being eliminated from the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain in the quarter-finals, Barcelona headline this weekend's La Liga action with El Clasico against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu on Sunday, where defeat would see them fall 11 points behind the leaders in the table.
Ben Knapton
