Manchester United have tabled an offer for a Barcelona midfielder over the weekend, and have already been handed a response, according to reports coming out of Spain.
Red Devils on the hunt for additions
Following the decision to keep Erik ten Hag in charge of the club, Manchester United are now looking to bolster their ranks ahead of their new Premier League season kicking off against Fulham at Old Trafford on Friday 16th August.
They have already seen a bid for Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite rejected, believed to have been around £35m plus add ons, and a defender is clearly high on their list of summer priorities. However, the Everton man is thought to be valued by his club at closer to £70m, and it remains to be seen whether United would be willing to stump up that sort of cash for one of England's brightest defenders.
There is also a desire to strengthen in midfield, with Casemiro strongly linked with a move to Saudi Arabia and few other options for Ten Hag to call upon following Sofyan Amrabat's return to Fiorentina at the end of his loan spell at Old Trafford. With that in mind, they have turned to Barcelona in a bid to sort their issue.
United table bid for Barcelona gem
Now, reports from Spain have credited Manchester United with making an early bid for impressive midfielder Fermin Lopez.
Lopez has enjoyed an excellent campaign for Barcelona, and was called up to Luis De La Fuente's Spanish national team as a result, though he was an unused substitute as a team including fellow youngster Lamine Yamal eased past Croatia 3-0 in the opening game of EURO 2024.
The 21-year-old drew rave reviews from former head coach Xavi Hernandez during his time in charge, with the former Barcelona midfielder dubbing the current Barcelona midfielder an "extraordinary talent".
Lopez's La Liga season 23/24
Appearances
31
Starts
14
Goals
8
Assists
0
Yellow Cards
2
"Fermin is a player with extraordinary talent, two legs and the ability to play the final pass. He is only 20 years old but he has a lot of character. He is a player I love," Xavi told the Barcelona website.
He is under contract at Camp Nou until 2027, where he takes home around £10,000 a week. As with all contracts in Spain, there is a release clause in his deal, but it is set at a mammoth £340m (400m euros) in a bid to keep interested parties away.
Man Utd place bid to sign "truly magnificent" Hojlund alternative
He wants to leave his club this summer
ByJoe NuttallJun 18, 2024
Now, Sport reveal that United have tabled a bid worth 30m euros (£26m) in a bid to prise him away from Spain. However, they were quickly informed that this would not be enough, with Barcelona "not considering a sale" unless an offer too good to turn down arrives, while Manchester United's own offer was considered "completely insufficient".
It is unclear whether United will return with another offer over the course of the summer, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe keen to add another midfielder to his ranks. For now though, it seems case closed barring a remarkable new offer from the Red Devils.