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Diminutive playmaker Frenkie de Jong is not the only Barcelona star who is of interest to Manchester United. They are also eyeing one of their young attacking talents.
It is a well-known fact that the Red Devils are searching for an elite goalscorer due to the lack of strikers at the club. Their sights are set on Tottenham’s Harry Kane and Victor Osimhen of Napoli.
Both are expected to cost record sums with Spurs holding out for £100million up front while Napoli want €150million to part with their talisman.
United need an elite goalscorer
And this is why the 20-time English league champions are keeping backup options ready and one of them could involve a move for Barca’s teen sensation Ansu Fati.
The 20-year-old was considered one of La Masia’s brightest prospects and when he broke through, fans and the club entrusted him with Lionel Messi’s iconic shirt in a show of faith and to show how highly he was rated at that time.
The Spaniard signed a new contract with the club that included a release clause of €1 billion and the future was thought to be very bright. But under Xavi, it all seems to be crashing down.
The Spanish international has found minutes hard to come by under the former midfielder, with only nine starts in the league coming his way.
And many in the club feel it is best to cash in on Fati considering his under-utilisation under Xavi. The club are in financial crisis and his sale and the fact that his wages would be freed could be a huge benefit for the Catalans.
A report in Cuatro mentions that the player is now ‘only worth €35m’, and United would be ready to secure his services should he wish to leave the Camp Nou considering their previous history with the club.
Ansu Fati’s diminishing value could help United
“The ’10’ from Blaugrana has expressed his desire to continue at the club if he begins to get more minutes , otherwise he would prefer a departure.
“In 2020, Manchester United came to consider paying more than 100 million to get Fati,” the report mentioned. Such a diminished price would be easy for United to match.
The Barcelona forward remains a player with a huge ceiling in terms of his potential and Ten Hag could decide to restructure the team if Fati would arrive.
The Spanish star has the versatility to play in all positions in a front three but it remains a doubt whether United would go after Fati. There is the chance of the player using United’s name to gain a favourable position at his current club.
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