United tried to sign Barcelona star who nearly left the club for €600,000 before breakthrough season – report

Manchester United explored the possibility of signing Fermin Lopez from Barcelona during the summer transfer window.

The Spaniard is one of many talented players to emerge from Barca’s famed La Masia academy amid their financial crisis in recent years. However, his journey has been a little different and more dramatic from his teammates.

Lopez initially struggled to enter the first-team fold and was loaned out to Linares Deportivo in 2022. During this period, he was also reportedly close to a move to Polish outfit Rakow Czestochowa.

A deal believed to be in the region of €600,000 was agreed. However, Rakow eventually decided against completing the transfer.

The Barca youngster caught the eye of Xavi last year and ended up establishing himself as a crucial part of the senior squad, impressing fans and pundits alike with his positional awareness and ability to get on the scoresheet from midfield.

Lopez also enjoyed a great summer with Spain. He was part of the Euro 2024 winning squad and also played a key role in the side’s gold medal win at the Olympics in Paris. The dynamic midfielder’s exploits have also led to interest from clubs across Europe, including United.

According to Football Espana, the Red Devils and Tottenham Hotspur enquired about “possible conditions” of a move for the 21-year-old.

However, things did not progress any further as neither the Catalan giants nor their academy product showed any interest in knowing anything about a potential summer switch.

The Spain international wants to continue at Barcelona, who are looking to renew his contract as they consider him an instrumental figure for their future.

Lopez is capable of playing on the flanks and as a number 10, but he largely thrives as a number 8, who likes to regularly crash the penalty area.

With Kobbie Mainoo currently occupying the same role, missing out on the Barca man is unlikely to be a huge cause of regret at Old Trafford.

Further, The Peoples Person recently relayed a report claiming United are monitoring Eberechi Eze as a potential option for the next summer window. The Crystal Palace man, akin to Lopez, has an eye for scoring goals from the middle of the park.

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