“Made contact…” - Man Utd, Liverpool and Arsenal lining up “record-breaking deal” for Barcelona ace

Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal are lining up a “record deal” for Barcelona attacker Ansu Fati, according to a reputable journalist.

The winger is one of the Catalan giants’ most prized academy products, having been promoted from the Masia in 2019 when he was just 16.

Since breaking into the first team as a teenager, Fati has made 89 Barcelona appearances in which he has scored 25 times and provided nine assists.

However, the 20-year-old has struggled to nail down a spot in Xavi’s side this term, which has fuelled talk that he could move to the Premier League.

While Xavi has hit out at such claims, insisting “Ansu is not for sale”, reputable journalist Ben Jacobs claimed Arsenal, Man Utd and Liverpool could make a “record-breaking deal” to secure the youngster.

Ansu Fati could go for a “record-breaking deal”

Jacobs said Fati could leave for the Premier League given Barcelona’s need to significantly reduce their wage bill.

Man Utd, Liverpool and Arsenal have reportedly “made contact” with the winger, who would cost in the region of £100million.

Upon citing the three Premier League giants, Jacobs went on to claim in Fabrizio Romano’s Daily Briefings: “Any outgoings this summer will be against the backdrop of Barcelona's need to cut their wage bill by €150-200m or bring in significant income.

“Fati is by no means one the highest earners at the club, but he’s still on an excellent wage and a young and talented forward who will command a healthy fee.

“Clubs from the Premier League have made contact on the player’s side, which is also why Barcelona are distancing themselves from the speculation because they are not the ones involved in any talks yet.

“It’s very plausible that Fati could cost somewhere in the region of €100m, which would be a club record for many of the suitors interested and a big price compared to his form right now. A series of knee injuries seem to have affected his overall development.

“But Fati has still got all of the attributes to add goals, dynamism, creativity and versatility to either Barcelona or whatever club he moves on to next. For now, the player simply craves consistent game time. Last season he scored four goals in ten La Liga games.

“This campaign he’s played 20 matches but only added three goals and hasn't had as many minutes as he would have liked. Plus there's massive pressure wearing the No.10 shirt at Barcelona and Fati hasn't been as clinical or explosive as many predicted.”

Topics: Football, Transfers, Ansu Fati, Barcelona, Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United

Chris Byfield

Sport journalist with experience writing on football, rugby, boxing and the Olympics. I'm also a Crystal Palace fan. Please don't hold this against me.