Manchester City 'one of five major clubs' keen on Barcelona's Nico Gonzalez

Manchester City are one of five top European teams who are keeping tabs on Nico Gonzalez's contract situation at Barcelona.

The 20-year-old has emerged as a key player at Camp Nou this season, starring under Ronald Koeman and Xavi in what has been a difficult campaign for the Blaugrana.

Though Nico signed a new contract running until 2024 last summer, he remains one of the club's lowest earners despite his growing importance to the team, and Marca report that Europe's elite are ready to test Barça's resolve.

Manchester City are said to have joined four unnamed sides - two others from England, one from Italy and one from Germany - in registering their interest in Nico, whose father, Fran, was a youth coach at the Etihad Stadium in the mid 2010s.

The problem Barcelona face is that a renewal for Nico is not high on their list of priorities - the club are busy trying to resolve the futures of Ronald Araujo and Gavi, while it has been reported recently in the Spanish media that Sergi Roberto looks set to leave in the summer.

Nico's priority is to stay at Barcelona, but this could change if he is not convinced by their sporting project or does not believe he is being properly valued in Catalonia.

While his contract is hardly an expensive one, Barcelona have set Nico's release clause at €500m, so City and other suitors would have to negotiate a transfer with the club, and it seems unlikely that Barça will be forced into a sale this summer unless the player forces one.