Manchester United 'Revealed' as Club Who Bid €100m for Barcelona Starlet Ansu Fati

Manchester United are said to to be the previously unnamed club who bid €100m (£89m) for Barcelona wonderkid Ansu Fati, an offer that has since been turned down.


Last week, it was reported that, amid Barça's desperation to raise cash ahead of the summer transfer window, the club received a big-money offer for Fati. However, while several players are expected to depart Camp Nou in an attempt to balance the books, Fati is not expected to be one of them.


SPORT now claim that United were the main interested party with regard to 17-year-old Fati (though other Premier League clubs were also interested). The report even adds that the Red Devils were prepared to 'give up' on Jadon Sancho to make a €100m deal happen.


Ansu Fati has a release clause of €170m

United's pursuit of a new winger has been no secret as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer looks to continue his squad rebuild this summer, while it has long been understood that Sancho - currently lighting up the Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund - is their primary target.


90min understand that Dortmund are prepared to double his salary in order to keep him in place for 2020/21, but such a deal would have to guarantee a sale in a year's time.


Their determination to keep hold of their most valuable asset, coupled with United's desire not to spend too lavishly in the current climate, has sparked a stand-off, but there remains a mutual feeling that the deal can be concluded at some point this summer.


It's odd, then, to see Catalan outlet SPORT report that around the end of May, United were prepared to give up on Sancho and throw cash at Fati.


It's claimed that 10 days ago, United contacted the Catalan side through agent Jorge Mendes to establish a price, and after being told to meet his €170m (£151m) release clause, they returned with a more 'modest' €100m bid.


That is said to have been considered by the board, but ultimately rejected by president Josep Bartomeu, who sees the young forward as the future of the club.


Ansu Fati is the youngest ever goalscorer in the Champions League

More eyebrow-raising is the claim from SPORT that United were willing to completely abandon plans to sign Sancho if the Fati bid had been accepted - a notion which seems unlikely at best and contrary to 90min's own information on the club's transfer plans.


It is added that after finishing the season in the Barça's B team, Fati will activate a clause in his contract to become a permanent first-team player with a €400m contractual release clause.



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Source : 90min