Barcelona star 'snubbed potential £58m move to England amid Man United and Aston Villa interest' - as Catalan wonderkid opted to stay in Spain after shining for LaLiga giants

Manchester United and Aston Villa reportedly made an enquiry about a Barcelona player as it is understood that the Premier League clubs were willing to offer £58million during the winter transfer window. Both sides were active during January, with the Birmingham club particularly busy, bringing five players to Villa Park, including Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio, on loan. Meanwhile, Ruben Amorim's band was interested in a striker throughout the transfer window but secured the deals with youngsters Patrick Dorgu from Lecce and Ayden Heaven from Arsenal's Under 21s.

United's exit deals were more notable as they loaned out Rashford and Antony after falling out of favour under the Portuguese manager. Furthermore, according to Spanish outlet Sport, both clubs were willing to offer £58m to bolster their midfield with Barca's Fermin Lopez. However, the Spaniard made it clear from the first moment that he did not want to hear any offer, with the 21-year-old player eager to continue playing for the Catalan giants.

Manchester United and Aston Villa were reportedly interested in Barcelona star Fermin Lopez. Both Unai Emery and Ruben Amorim were keen to further strengthen their squads. However, the 21-year-old player rejected a potential £58million move to the Premier League and decided to continue at his boyhood club. United are known to be long-time admirers of Lopez's talents amid their recent changes in midfield as Christian Eriksen is expected to leave the club at the end of the season, and former Real Madrid star Casemiro is no longer considered a regular starter.

However, the Spaniard is confident in his desire to continue at Barca despite his limited playing time compared to his last campaign under Xavi. Under new boss Hansi Flick, the 21-year-old returned from the Olympics with an injury, which left him out of several crucial games at the start of the season. The youngster found himself in an even more challenging situation considering the fierce competition in Barcelona's midfield which includes Pedri, Frenkie de Jong, Marc Casado, Gavi and Pablo Torre.

He started only on five occasions in his 14 games in LaLiga, scoring two goals and delivering two assists. However, he appeared on the pitch from the first minutes in the 5-0 away win against Valencia in the Spanish Cup, where he found the back of the net in the 23rd minute. In October 2024, Fermin signed a new contract at the club until 2029, and it is understood that he has a £416.5million release clause.