Manchester United has reportedly proposed a £25.4 million deal to Barcelona for their key midfielder.

Manchester United have reportedly made a €30 million (£25.4m) bid to sign Barcelona midfielder Fermin Lopez, following his impressive season where he scored 11 goals and provided one assist in 40 matches across all competitions for Barcelona in 2023/24.

Fermin’s breakthrough performance did not go unnoticed, earning him a spot in Spain’s Euro 2024 squad and making his senior debut in a friendly against Andorra recently.

According to Catalan outlet SPORT, Barcelona have turned down Manchester United’s offer for Fermin. The Red Devils are seeking a technically adept midfielder with a knack for getting into the box and scoring, identifying Fermin as a prime target.

This bid from United marks the first formal offer Barcelona has received for the 21-year-old this summer. However, Barcelona is adamant about retaining Fermin, especially considering their current financial challenges. They would only entertain the possibility of selling him if an exceptionally large offer were made.

Barcelona’s financial struggles have been well-documented, but they are not inclined to let Fermin go unless an astronomical sum is put on the table.

Manchester United had previously shown interest in Fermin Lopez’s Barcelona teammate, Frenkie de Jong, with manager Erik ten Hag expressing a strong desire to sign him when he took charge at Old Trafford in the summer of 2022. Ten Hag has suggested that his tenure would have been more successful if a player with De Jong’s qualities had been acquired earlier.

In contrast to Fermin, De Jong did not make it to Euro 2024 due to an ankle injury that prevented him from joining the Netherlands’ final squad.

Fermin Lopez, on the other hand, is poised to potentially feature for Spain in a high-profile Euro 2024 match against defending champions Italy, which is set to be one of the standout fixtures on Thursday.