Man Utd make £50m+ bid to sign £400k-p/w Barcelona star and get quick reply

Manchester United have reportedly submitted a £50m+ bid to sign a Barcelona star ahead of the summer transfer window.

Man Utd progress in Europa League thanks to Bruno Fernandes hat-trick

The Red Devils booked their place in the Europa League quarter-finals on Thursday evening after a 5-2 aggregate win over Real Sociedad.

Heading into the Old Trafford encounter after a 1-1 draw in the first leg, Ruben Amorim’s side found themselves behind after an early penalty from Mikel Oyarzabal. However, Bruno Fernandes converted two spot-kicks and sealed his hat-trick late on to ensure Man Utd will take on Lyon in the last eight.

Talking after the game, Amorim said of Fernandes: “We know that he’s frustrated. We know that he wants to win so bad. Sometimes, when we’re not playing well, he changes position and goes after the ball.

“Sometimes, he needs to trust a little bit more in his team-mates to allow them to do their job and help him to play better. When we need him, he’s always there. He can change position. He can bring the ball forward. He can score goals. He can make transitions like he showed today.

“In the last 10 minutes of the game, he can defend. He’s a perfect captain for our team. We need to help him to win titles because he’s a legend.”

Attention now turns back to the Premier League and a trip to relegation-threatened Leicester City on Sunday evening.

Behind the scenes, though, Man Utd and INEOS are being linked with moves to sign players from both Barcelona and Real Madrid ahead of what could be a hectic summer transfer window before Amorim’s first season in charge.

Real Madrid duo Andriy Lunin and Aurelien Tchouameni and Barcelona midfielder Fermin Lopez are all wanted at Old Trafford, and another Nou Camp star is once again on the Red Devils’ radar.

Man Utd make £50m+ offer for Frenkie de Jong

According to a report from Spain, Man Utd have once again tried their luck when it comes to long-term target Frenkie de Jong at Barcelona.

It is claimed that Man Utd ‘has put an offer of €65m (£54.5m) on the table with the intention of securing the midfielder’s services in the upcoming transfer window.’ However, the report adds that United have already had a quick reply, with Barcelona rejecting the proposal and will look to extend De Jong’s £400,000-a-week contract instead.

Back in 2022, a €65m fee was reportedly agreed between Man Utd and Barcelona, but it isn’t enough for a deal in 2025.

It does feel as if the Red Devils may never secure the services of the Netherlands international, so it could be wise to look elsewhere at midfield reinforcements, with the likes of Casemiro, Christian Eriksen and Mason Mount all potentially on their way out this summer.