90min

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

  • Man Utd were interested in Ansu Fati in the summer of 2020
  • Barcelona teenager was 17 at the time, after debut at 16
  • Offer of €100m wasn't enough to strike a deal for the prodigy

By 90min Staff

Ansu Fati was a teenage prodigy when he first broke through
Ansu Fati was a teenage prodigy when he first broke through / Eric Alonso/GettyImages
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Manchester United are reported to have made a monstrous offer to sign Ansu Fati from Barcelona when the young forward was just 17 years of age.

Fati was deemed worthy of inheriting Lionel Messi's legendary number 10 shirt at Camp Nou in 2021, but things could have turned out very differently.

Ultimately, injuries have badly hampered Fati's continued development in recent years. He suffered a severe knee problem less than two months after becoming an official full member of Barcelona's first-team in the autumn of 2020. A hamstring injury then wrecked his comeback season in 2021/22.

And while Fati made 51 appearances across all competitions the following campaign, he spent last season on the periphery during a loan at Brighton & Hove Albion, even before a calf issue cropped up. A foot injury delayed his start to 2024/25, so far playing only two minutes across all competitions, and the likelihood of ever fulfilling the potential he showed at the age of 16 grows ever slimmer.

AnsuFati
Fati was Lamine Yamal before Lamine Yamal was / Quality Sport Images/GettyImages

Fati was aged 16 years and 298 days when he made his Barcelona debut in August 2019, at that time the club's youngest player since 1941. He scored his first goal six days later and achieved a number of records and feats throughout that maiden season.

The Athletic has now noted that Fati's breakthrough prompted Manchester United to offer €100m (£83m at today's exchange rate) for his services in the summer of 2020.

Barcelona upped Fati's release clause to €170m from €100m in December 2019. It then rose to €400m when he formally joined the first-team in 2020 and now stands at €1bn.

In 2020, under the management of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, United often targeted young talent that could be developed in-house following several high profile disappointments from going after more established stars. The club also spent big on Amad Diallo, a transfer which is only really starting to pay off now, as well as recruiting Facundo Pellistri the same year.

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