Manchester United were ready to pay a colossal €100m (£89.1m) for Barcelona winger Ansu Fati according to a report in Spain.
Sport reported on Monday that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men were interested in the teenager who has been making waves in Catalonia this season.
The teenager has broken records left, right and centre, becoming the youngest goalscorer in Champions League history.
Compared to Lionel Messi, the 17-year-old has the world at his feet – so much so that his agent is now Jorge Mendes.
The agent contacted Barcelona to ask how much they’d be prepared to sell the young Spaniard for with United even willing to drop their interest in Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho.
However, after proposing £89.1m, the Spanish giants said United needed to look towards the player’s release clause.
That currently stands at a remarkable €170m (£151m). Although, once he becomes an official first-team player this summer, that will rise to a staggering €400m (£356m).
GIVE ME SPORT’S Matt Dawson says...
This would be a remarkable sign of intent from Ed Woodward in the transfer market, one that almost defies belief given their interest in the more proven Sancho.
The fact United were willing to forget their interest in him to pursue Fati speaks volumes but they’d be mad to pay over £100m for a youngster who has played just 24 senior matches in his entire career.
Fati is a player with clear talent – something his five goals for the first-team this campaign demonstrates – but United need players who will impact their first XI now, not in a few years time.
Solskjaer’s men have had years trailing behind their rivals Manchester City and their supporters will surely be demanding trophies after playing second fiddle for so long.
The wide man would be an eye-catching acquisition but if United want to get closer to City and Liverpool, they need ready-made players in the immediate future, not those who could become world-class in a number of years.
Sancho must be the priority instead.