Ander Herrera and Oriol Romeu on Barcelona's list of possible Marco Verratti alternatives

Barcelona are now looking at alternatives to signing Marco Verratti this summer, with Manchester United's Ander Herrera and Southampton star Oriol Romeu on their list of possible targets.

New manager Ernesto Valverde wants Italy international Verratti to rejuvenate the club's midfield options, with the club ready to offer Paris Saint-Germain €80m (£70.8m) for his services, according to the Spanish press.

Those efforts have been met with stern resistance however, with PSG refusing to even listen to offers for the 24-year-old. With no release clause in his contract, the French giants have also told Barcelona the next time he will become available is when his contract expires – in 2021.

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu explained in an interview with Mundo Deportivo that the club have tried everything to negotiate a deal, but may now have to accept PSG's decision.

"We know that the player would love to come to Barca but when you call PSG and you talk with the president [Nasser Al-Khelaifi], he says he is not for sale and there is no release clause," he said.

"As such, the president can decide if he feels like negotiating with us or not. In this sense, Spanish football is defenceless. Here, there are release clauses and there, there aren't.

"And outsiders can come and play and we can't. So for now, we've not sat down with PSG, despite the player's willingness to come to Barca. We must accept it."

Spanish daily Marca now reports the club are ready to move on, as they are determined to bolster their midfield options after last season's disappointments.

Among those being considered is former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Paulinho. The Brazil international has enjoyed an impressive return to form in China with Guangzhou Evergrande and revealed in June he has been contacted by the Catalan giants.

Valverde knows United midfielder Herrera from their time together at Athletic Bilbao and, with just one year remaining on his deal at Old Trafford, could be an option for the club. However, having grown into an integral player under Jose Mourinho last season, the Spain international has appeared to shun that interest, proclaiming in June his intention to win more trophies in Manchester.

Southampton enforcer Romeu is another option listed by Marca. A graduate of the club's La Masia academy, the midfielder left the Nou Camp in 2011 to join Chelsea, where an early knee injury hampered his chances of breaking into the first team. Following loan spells at Valencia and Stuttgart, he signed for Southampton in 2015, growing into a formidable midfield presence on the south coast.

Nice midfielder Jean Michael Seri will also be considered.