Why Man Utd missed out on Euro 24 winner & Olympics gold medalist in the summer - report
Manchester United indeed enquired about signing Barcelona midfielder Fermin Lopez during the summer transfer window, according to Spanish outlet Football Espana.
It was reported in June that the Red Devils tabled an offer of £25 million bid for the 21-year-old but it was immediately rejected as he is considered ‘non-transferable’.
It has now emerged that Man United were not the only club keen on bringing Lopez to the Premier League, with Tottenham Hotspur also registering interest in recruiting his services.
However, neither club had a chance as the midfielder never wanted to leave Barca, and the enquiries never materialised into serious talks.
The youngster went on to have a splendid summer for Spain, winning the European Championship with the senior team before heading to the 2024 Summer Olympics with the Spain under-23s and picking up a gold medal.
The Man United target bagged six goals in six appearances at the tournament in France and became the third player in history to win the Euros and the Summer Olympic gold medal in the same year.
The Red Devils were unable to strengthen in attacking midfield but ended up spending £206m on the signings of Manuel Ugarte, Joshua Zirkzee, Leny Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui in the summer.
It remains to be seen whether they plan to return for Lopez anytime soon but Barca are already looking into a potential contract renewal for their academy graduate.
He is widely regarded at the club as a key player for the future, and Man United and other suitors may need to start looking elsewhere going forward.