Man Utd Make £25m Offer to Sign Fermin Lopez

Highlights

Manchester United want Barcelona midfielder Fermin Lopez and have made an offer worth €30 million.
Lopez burst onto the scene in 2023-24, playing over 40 games for the Spanish giants, and is now attracting interest.
United are also pursuing a number of central defenders.

Manchester United are interested in signing Barcelona’s Fermin Lopez and have made an opening offer of €30 million (£25 million) for the midfielder, according to Sport.

Lopez enjoyed a breakthrough campaign in 2023/24, scoring 11 goals in 42 appearances across all competitions for the Catalan giants. While Barca are not eager to sell the player, Spanish publication Sport suggest that an ‘irrefutable’ offer could be tempting to the club as they look to balance their books.

The same outlet report that United have made an initial bid in the region of €30 million, a proposal that has been swiftly rejected by Barcelona. However, if the English club return with a more suitable offer, a potential deal could be on the cards.

United Chasing Lopez

The Red Devils want to strengthen their midfield

Real Madrid's Toni Kroos in action with FC Barcelona's Fermin Lopez

After spending a season on loan at Spanish third division side Linares, where he netted 12 times, Lopez returned to the Camp Nou last summer looking to break into the first team. Impressing in pre-season, then manager Xavi gave the 21-year-old his opportunities, which he took emphatically excelling as a midfielder and as a more advanced attacking midfielder. The former Barca boss labelled him as an “exceptional talent” last summer.

This excellent campaign, in which he established himself as a core part of the Barcelona squad, has prompted interest from the likes of Manchester United, as they look to capitalise on the Spanish club’s weak financial position. As Sport suggest, any deal is only likely to materialise if a hefty offer is to come in, with new boss Hansi Flick unlikely to be keen on losing one of his bright prospects. While an agreed upon fee is unlikely to get close to the reported €400 million release clause, United will have to drastically improve upon their opening offer if they want to land their man.

Whether or not INEOS will fork out the required finances to secure Lopez remains to be seen, but it’s clear that there is an interest in making midfield reinforcements this summer. The Red Devils have been heavily linked with a move for Aston Villa’s Douglas Luiz, and are reportedly ready to rival Juventus for his signature.

Lopez’ La Liga Statistics 2023/24
Appearances	31
Goals	8
Assists	0
Shots Per 90	3.17
Key Passes Per 90	1.12
Progressive Passes Per 90	4.72

United Chasing a Number of Defenders

They’ve had an opening bid for Brathwaite rejected

Along with looking to strengthen the midfield, United are also clearly in the market for a defender this summer, and have also had an offer for one rejected. A £35 million bid for Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite has been dismissed, but the club are expected to return with an improved offer as they look to bolster a back-line that conceded 58 goals last season.

However, if Everton hold out for too significant a sum, the United hierarchy are believed to be willing to turn their attentions elsewhere. The likes of Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi, Lille’s Leny Yoro, and Nice’s Jean-Clair Todibo have all been touted as potential alternatives to the Englishman.

With Raphael Varane on the way out, Victor Lidnelof the subject of interest from Fenerbahce, and Harry Maguire continuing to divide opinion, the signing of a central defender is a clear priority as INEOS look to provide Erik ten Hag with the tools to launch an attack on the top four next season.