Barcelona have reportedly been eyeing Manchester City captain Ilkay Gündoğan as their primary target to reinforce their midfield for next season.

According to Marca, Barcelona's technical department led by President Joan Laporta and Mateu Alemany, has been working on the operation for several weeks as the player’s contract with Manchester City expires on June 30.

It has been reported that the talks are going very well, but there are still a couple of vital issues to be resolved.

However, the fact that the German is available on a free transfer has allowed Barcelona to legally discuss terms with him.

Despite no formal offer for the player yet, there has been talk of interest and what Barcelona would be willing to pay him as a salary.

Barcelona's main objective in the initial talks was to find out Gündoğan's willingness to leave the Premier League and sign for the Catalans.

The 32-year-old Turkish German would be willing to take on a new challenge in his career, such as coming to La Liga.

In that respect, Barcelona believe they have the player's approval.

However, it is not definitive because several English clubs are also interested in signing the player, even though they are not yet allowed to speak to him as per free transfer rules.

Both Gündoğan and Barcelona are aware of this interest and he is said to be willing to wait until June when domestic clubs can talk to him before making a final decision.

Currently, the player's salary is around 10 million euros ($11.03 million) per season, but there are English clubs that can offer an increase on this amount given the fact he would arrive on a free transfer.

According to unverified sources, the player has informed Barcelona that while money is not the primary factor in his decision, it should still be taken into consideration.

The Cityzens have already decided not to renew the contract of the player and the club is aware that the midfielder wants to look for other challenges.

Finally, there is still a fundamental factor to be considered, which is the offer Barcelona can afford to make.

The Catalan giants are still working on the viability plan they must present to La Liga in the next few days.

Meanwhile, Brazilian striker Roberto Firmino has been heavily linked with the Blaugrana as news stories have circulated citing a potential agreement between the two parties.

However, Barcelona have dismissed such reports, showing clearly that they have no interest in signing the Liverpool attacker.

Despite some rumors circulating, Barcelona have not shown any interest in reinforcing the center forward position, as the club has every intention of keeping hold of their star striker, Robert Lewandowski.

Any offensive reinforcements would likely come in the form of wingers amid the possibility of various departures.

One decision that has been confirmed by the club's sporting directors is the return of Abde Ezzalzouli, who has spent the season on loan at Osasuna.

He will rejoin the squad this summer once his stint at the Pamplona club is over.