Barcelona and Newcastle have submitted an application to Ligue 1 club Lyon about signing 26-year-old Belgian international Jason de Nayer in the summer, belgian media outlet Het Nieuwsblad reported.
Jason Denayer has been on Barcelona's transfer radar as he could move to become a free agent in the summer transfer window. The Catalonia giants have submitted enquiries for the Belgium international, with Newcastle, Napoli and Juventus also targeting the Belgium international.
Since moving from Manchester City to Lyon in August 2018, Jason Denayer has found a solid foothold in his career. Over the past three and a half years, the 26-year-old has improved and has gradually become one of the best defenders in Ligue 1, as well as a regular player for the Belgian national team.
So far, DeNayer has made 136 appearances for Lyon, scoring eight goals and contributing assists twice. But the Belgium international faces an uncertain future at the club as he has moved into the final half of his contract and the renewal has been very slow.
The situation has caught the attention of Barcelona and other top clubs, who may need to look for a centre-back in the transfer market again. That's because Eric Garcia's performance since his return from Manchester City has not been satisfactory, and Gerald Pique is at the end of his career and is likely to leave the game soon.
Meanwhile, Lenglet and Umtiti's position at Camp Nou has fallen sharply, amid uncertainty about the future of the French duo at Barcelona. As a result, Barca will need to sign a centre-back in the summer transfer window, especially with both Chelsea and Manchester United interested, with Araujo yet to sign a new contract with Barca.
In order to solve the problem of the club's central defender, Barca contacted a number of players. Jules Conde of Sevilla is already linked to Barcelona, and De Nayer is also a viable target. With the 26-year-old likely to become a free agent this summer, Barcelona will be drawn to the way he brings him in with a free transfer.
But Barcelona will have to face competition from Newcastle, Juventus and Napoli, all of whom have made offers to the Belgium international. But Lyon will be desperate to tie down DeNayer with a new contract.