Manchester United reportedly submitted a huge bid to sign Chelsea target and Barcelona star Fermin Lopez, as per Spanish outlet Sport.
After becoming the Red Devils’ new head coach last year, Ruben Amorim struggled to implement his style of football at Old Trafford last term. He plays with a 3-4-2-1 formation, and the two No. 10s are key pieces of his system.
United had wingers like Marcus Rashford, Antony, and Alejandro Garnacho, but the former Sporting CP boss decided that the trio would not be suited to play in his system.
Therefore, the trio has been transfer-listed. Rashford has joined Barcelona on loan, but the other two are still at the club, while Jadon Sancho is also available on the market.
Man Utd have purchased Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo; however, Sport claim that Amorim’s side were also keen on signing another No.10 and Lopez was on their radar.
They held formal talks with the Blaugrana over this deal and launched a whopping £69m bid last month. Barcelona were even tempted to accept the offer amid their financial difficulties. However, Hansi Flick eventually blocked the move as he wasn’t willing to weaken his squad.
Battle
Chelsea were also keen on signing the Spaniard, but couldn’t manage to get the deal done. Enzo Maresca is planning to add a new creative midfielder this summer to support Cole Palmer, so Chelsea opted to go for Lopez.
However, after failing to secure his service, they have shifted focus to Xavi Simons. The Blues have been working on deals to sell fringe players before pushing to sign the RB Leipzig star.
Along with a new CAM, the West London club are planning to buy a new winger and have reportedly been advancing on a deal to sign Man Utd outcast Garnacho.
Lopez usually plays as a backup option to Dani Olmo at Barcelona, but the former Leipzig star picks up injuries frequently. So, Lopez gets the opportunity to play quite often.
He has showcased glimpses of his qualities in La Liga in recent times and won the European Championship with Spain last summer. Furthermore, he helped his country win the Gold Medal in the Olympics last summer.