Man Utd’s failed €100m bid for Barcelona star revealed

Manchester United reportedly made a massive offer to sign Ansu Fati from Barcelona when the young forward was just 17 years old.

Fati was seen as the successor to Lionel Messi at Camp Nou, inheriting the iconic number 10 shirt in 2021, but things could have taken a very different turn.

Injuries, however, have significantly hindered Fati’s development over recent years. Shortly after becoming a full member of Barcelona’s first team in the autumn of 2020, he suffered a serious knee injury. His attempted comeback in the 2021/22 season was disrupted by a hamstring problem.

While Fati made 51 appearances across all competitions in the following season, he spent most of last year on the sidelines during a loan spell at Brighton & Hove Albion, even before a calf injury further set him back. A foot injury delayed his start to the 2024/25 season, with him playing only two minutes so far, and the once-bright potential he showed at 16 seems increasingly difficult to achieve.

Fati made his Barcelona debut in August 2019 at 16 years and 298 days, becoming the club’s youngest player since 1941. He scored his first goal just six days later and broke several records during his breakout season.

According to The Athletic, Fati’s early success prompted Manchester United to make a €100m (£83m) offer for him in the summer of 2020.

Barcelona responded by raising his release clause from €100m to €170m in December 2019. It increased to €400m when Fati officially joined the first team in 2020 and now sits at €1bn.

Under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in 2020, United focused on signing young talent for development, after facing setbacks with high-profile, established players. That same year, the club made big investments in young players like Amad Diallo and Facundo Pellistri, both of whom are only now starting to make an impact.