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Manchester United reignite interest in £144m valued Barcelona teenager

Rising to fame as a mere 17-year-old, the name Ansu Fati has clearly made rounds across the footballing landscape. 

The 16-year-old Catalan became the youngest player ever to score a Champions League goal after netting one at San Siro last December. He scored 8 goals across all competitions in the 32 appearances he made.

Playing top-notch football for the Catalan giants at the tender age of 16 has made him a prime target for many clubs across Europe. Manchester United seems to be the first of many to query his whereabouts next summer. They have made a fresh inquiry for the youngster offering £90 million to the Catalans for his services. However, Barcelona doesn’t seem to be interested at all. Fati signed a new three-year contract towards the end of last year.

After the Jadon Sancho deal coming to a halt, United have begun to explore other options in order to fuel up their attacking options. The Spanish newspaper, Sport have reported that the Red Devils have ‘asked again’  about the possibility of signing the Barcelona teenager.

United have been keeping tabs on the youngster for some time, with their super agent, Jorge Mendes reportedly proposing a mammoth deal on the club’s behalf earlier this summer.

Barcelona are holding firm that their La Masia prodigy is “not for sale” and would only leave if his £144m release clause was met. Considering Barcelona’s poor finances this season, a fee of £144m would be welcomed with open arms at Camp Nou

According to Sport’s latest reports, United have not yet put off their pursuit for Fati. They would end up spending significantly less on Guinea-Bissau-born sensation even if his buyout clause was to be paid in full due to his lower wage demands and significantly lower agent fees involved. 

This seems to be a cause of concern for the Spanish club who are determined on keeping the teenage prodigy under their shed for the years to come. The club had initially planned to increase Fati’s release clause to £357 million in October synchronous to him turning 18 but they are now looking to fast-track that and make him sign a unilateral contract extension which will bump up his weekly wages as well as his buyout clause significantly.