Manchester United have submitted an official offer for Barcelona’s rising star as new manager Ruben Amorim seeks to rebuild his beleaguered squad.
His energetic outings and tactical flexibility have made him an ideal target for Amorim, who is struggling to implement his desired 3-4-3 formation with the players currently at Manchester United.
And, with the Red Devils perilously close to relegation, strengthening their squad in the summer is of utmost importance.
According to reports from football365, the player is Fermin Lopez.
The €30m offer has caused friction amongst Barcelona’s upper echelon regarding cashing in on their promising academy graduate.
The 21-year-old attacking midfielder has had a breakout year at Camp Nou, scoring 5 goals and creating 9 assists in 39 appearances.
While Barcelona president Joan Laporta and sporting director Deco are both adamant that López’s development is central to their project, with the player’s deal running until 2029 and featuring a €500m release clause, the club’s shaky finances may open the door for negotiations.
It’s been said that some of Barcelona’s directors consider an offer of this size to be an opportunity to secure funds for areas of the squad that require immediate attention.
The player himself indicates that he is determined to make it at Barcelona, where new manager Hansi Flick appears willing to embrace youth, as Fermin López is very happy about his development with La Masia and the trust the coaching staff has in him.
While United’s opening bid is unlikely to fulfill Barcelona’s requirements to negotiate, there are suggestions from sources at the Catalan club that they would want closer to €50m to even consider selling him.
With Amorim looking to overhaul a badly performing squad, this potential transfer could develop into one of the more interesting stories of the summer and would test either Barcelona’s financial resolve or López and his career ambitions.
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