Manchester United have tabled an offer which would double the salary of one of Barcelona’s talents, according to a fresh report, and the Red Devils have already received a reply.
Man Utd and INEOS target youth
Since the arrival of INEOS at Old Trafford, Manchester United have made a point of targeting younger players in a bid to rejuvenate their squad.
Ruben Amorim‘s side signed Ayden Heaven from Premier League rivals Arsenal in January, as well as shelling out to sign Patrick Dorgu from Lecce in a deal worth up to £30m in their only major business of the transfer window.
Related
Club move to sign £350k-p/w Man Utd star who INEOS will let go immediately
It would be a massive call with no way to replace him at Old Trafford.
Meanwhile, they are also already exploring a move to sign Sporting CP teenager Geovany Quenda, with The Athletic reporting that a deal is expected to cost in excess of £30m this summer and the Red Devils already doing the groundwork to ensure that they land their man.
It is part of a new plan to spot talent before they explode into stars, with Sunderland’s Chris Rigg and Southampton’s Tyler Dibling also among those of interest to the Red Devils.
Now, it has emerged that they made a massive offer to lure a young star out of Barcelona, even offering to double his salary in the process.
Man Utd table bid for Barcelona talent Lopez
That comes as a report in Spain claims that both Manchester United and Aston Villa were ready to shell out up to €70m (£58m) to sign Barcelona talent Fermin Lopez in the January transfer window.
The Spanish international, who was a part of Spain’s Olympic winning side over the summer, has struggled for game time at Camp Nou since the arrival of Hansi Flick. He has made 15 appearances in La Liga but has started just five times.
|
Fermin Lopez at Barcelona this season (All comps) |
|
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
25 |
|
Starts |
9 |
|
Goals |
5 |
|
Assists |
5 |
|
Minutes per goal involvement |
104 |
Despite this, he renewed his contract in Catalonia in October, penning a new deal through until 2029 worth £64,000 a week. But just months on from that, both Premier League clubs showed strong interest, and were reportedly “willing to invest around 70 million euros [£58m] to secure his services”.
It is added that they were also offering “financial proposals that practically double his current salary at the Barcelona club”, making a move financially attractive.
Lopez quickly shut down any interest, the report adds. It is claimed that the youngster “did not hesitate to reject both offers”, telling his entourage that “his only objective was to establish himself in the Barcelona first team.”
Lopez’s love of Barcelona is nothing new; in a 2023 interview, he revealed his desire to spend his career at Camp Nou, telling the media: “I want to stay at Barça forever. Man, I would like to be in the first team, to continue here. I hope I can always be here, but hey, you never know. It is the best club in the world and every year the best come. You never know.”
However, as has often been shown, Barcelona are not always able to make it work financially, and with their continued financial struggles, a deal for Fermin down the line could prove too good to turn down, especially given his limited game time under Hansi Flick.
