Barcelona are pulling out of the race to sign Jean-Michael Seri of Nice, according to Mundo Deportivo.
The Arsenal and PSG target has been in demand since he helped the Eagles make third place in Ligue 1 last season.
Mundo Deportivo write that many this leaves the road clear for Paris Saint-Germain, who are still looking for players in the middle of the park.
Nice have ramped up the prices just like many other clubs, because Barcelona are flush after selling Neymar for €222 million.
This may explain why Liverpool have rejected repeated offers for Philippe Coutinho.
Seri is a strong central midfielder respected for his vision and passing range, and scored seven goals and nine assists in Ligue 1 last season.
Seri was seen as an alternative to Marco Verratti, who was strongly linked to the Blaugrana earlier this summer, even being rumoured to have met Lionel Messi in Spain to discuss a possible move.
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