FC Barcelona have already been scouting three Europe-based players with an eye on strengthening the squad in 2024, according to Mundo Deportivo.

Florian Wirtz has been on Barca's radar for a while now, and has admitted that the Catalans are his dream club.

"When I was a child, I always wanted to play for Barcelona. That hasn't changed, but I still have some time until I get there," he remarked in 2021.

After recovering from a cruciate ligament rupture that kept him sidelined for 265 days in the 2021/2022 season, Wirtz has started this term strongly under Liverpool and Real Madrid legend Xabi Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen.

His return of three goals and four assists in 10 games has helped his team top the Bundesliga and dream of winning the German championship for the first time in their history after five runner-up finishes.

As always considering Barca's financial plight, however, a €100 million ($106 million) release tag will be near impossible to meet anytime soon.

Royal Antwerp's Arthur Vermeeren would be far more affordable at €20 million ($21.2 million), with Barca monitoring him since January.

They also got a closer look at the 18-year-old when he played in the Montjuic Stadium against the Catalans losing 5-0 in the Champions League.

Sporting directors of each club, Deco and Mark Overmars, discussed him on the day the match was held, with Vermeeren a long-term bet for the future were Barca to make their interest more concrete.

Of the trio, Alan Varela is a name that has popped up last minute because of his impressive performance against the Blaugrana in the Champions League when they traveled to Porto.

He is "liked" by the club but "not a preference" when it comes to possible future purchases.

Porto paying €8 million ($8.5 million) to Boca Junior for him in the summer might lead some to think that the Argentine could come cheap.

However the premium Benfica charged Chelsea for Enzo Fernandez, and the profits Portuguese clubs make in general on South American stars after acquiring them for relative pittances, suggest his value could also skyrocket.