From the Bundesliga: Barcelona plan to pounce on Real Madrid's target

Barcelona are keeping a close eye on Finn Jeltsch. The Stuttgart central defender is also drawing growing interest from Real Madrid.

According to Sport newspaper, citing Sky Sport, one of Barça's scouts was in the stands for Stuttgart's Champions League clash with Viking to run the rule over Jeltsch.

At 20 years old and standing 1.88 metres tall, Jeltsch has kept proving his quality with a run of striking performances for Stuttgart.

The constant rumours around the German defender have sent his market value soaring in recent months, pushing it close to 45 million euros.

Stuttgart, for their part, confirmed only that a large number of accredited club scouts had been in the stands. They refused to fuel further speculation about one of the key figures in their rebuilt project.

Sporting director Fabian Wohlgemuth stayed out of the transfer market game, denying any negotiations over Finn Jeltsch.

Barcelona's scout was not alone. Inter Milan also sent a representative to assess Jeltsch's level up close. Only a week has passed since the young German's stock soared, after his name was tied to Real Madrid.

José Mourinho's side, hunting a defender for the future and a possible successor to Antonio Rüdiger, were among the clubs tracking his development closely.

Jürgen Klopp's backing has fanned the interest further, with the midfielder handed the chance to step up to the senior Germany squad.

His name carries ever more weight at Barcelona. The Catalan club have been scouring the market since last season for a player to round out Flick's defensive options.

Twente refused to open talks over Rogier Nijstad for a reasonable fee, so Barcelona press on in search of a young player who fits the profile for Flick's system.