Barcelona Rejects $175M Bid For Winger Linked To Manchester United, Report Says

Barcelona has turned down a massive offer for Ansu Fati, a report from Spain said.

Spanish newspaper Marca reported that Barcelona rejected an estimated €150 million ($175 million) offer for the 17-year-old winger from an unnamed club a few days ago. Fati’s new agent, Jorge Mendes, relayed the offer to Barca, but the Catalan club immediately turned it down and refused to enter discussions with the club, having no plans of selling the teenage sensation.

The club that made an offer for Fati has not been revealed. But Sport reported last month that Barcelona had also thumbed down a €100 million ($116 million) bid from Manchester United for Fati’s transfer.

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu earlier revealed that some clubs have shown interest in Fati, but he made it clear that the winger was part of the club's longterm plans.

"We haven't had any formal offers but there has been interest from some clubs. Barça's answer has always been 'no'. Ansu isn't for sale and is indispensable for the future of the club," he told Sport in August.

Bartomeu said that Barcelona never considered selling Fati, who has officially been promoted to the first team, even if it meant raising a considerable amount of funds during the coronavirus pandemic.

"We never considered letting him go. The opposite, in fact, what we want is to aid his development and extend his time here so that he plays at Barça for the rest of his life," he added.

Fati’s main attribute is to score goals and create chances for his teammates, a combination of skills United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is currently looking for.

In a recent interview with Sky Sports, Solskjaer addressed a few holes in United’s game and emphasized the need to score and create more. The Norwegian hopes the team would not always rely on the attacking prowess of Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Mason Greenwood. In order for the trio to be more productive on the pitch, the midfielders have to create more chances for them.

"They are top, top players and I think for any of the top teams if they lose one, two, or three of their forwards, their creators, the ones that make a difference, that can be an issue," Solskjaer said. "Those three - Mason, Marcus and Anthony - they had a fantastic season last season and we want to develop them together as a three, and the players behind can create chances for them.”

However, Solskjaer remains confident that his current midfielders can contribute more as the season continues.

"Can we get more from midfield? That can give us extra points," he added. "We've got players in Donny (van de Beek) and Paul (Pogba) who can definitely chip in with more goals, Jesse (Lingard) and Dan (James) can get in there with a bigger tally as well."