Norwich City full back Max Aarons remains a transfer target for Barcelona despite the Canaries’ initial £30m knock back, according to fresh reports in Catalonia.

Spanish football expert, Guillem Balague, writing in the daily Barcelona-based newspaper, Sport, on Monday afternoon suggests Ajax’s Sergino Dest remains their number one target under new Dutch boss Ronald Koeman.

But with Bayern Munich also interested in Dest, Aarons is still a genuine option for the Nou Camp club should Nelson Semedo seal his expected £30m move to Wolves in the coming days.

Barca will then step up their interest in a replacement once that deal is completed, with Norwich ready for further discussions.

City’s top brass is not interested in any proposal that does not include an obligation to buy at the end of a proposed season long loan move.

Barca’s interest in the 20-year-old youngster went public on Saturday morning, prior to Aarons featuring in the 2-2 Championship home draw against Preston.

Now Balague has claimed Barca had made Aarons their number one target in that area of the squad, prior to Koeman’s arrival, with initial contact made earlier this month. The package discussed was a £20m offer with £10m in potential add ons, should Barca opt to take up an option.

Aarons was previously touted with Bayern and PSG earlier this summer, but City’s stance remains firm in terms of the valuations for their best young talent.

The England Under-21 international is rated one of the best prospects in the country and under contract at Carrow Road until 2024 after signing a new five year deal in July 2019.

Balague also suggests there is an added value in the market to buying English players at present, ahead of the possible ramifications for domestic clubs as the financial implications around Brexit become clearer, in terms of bringing in overseas players.