Man Utd launch £36m bid to land versatile Barcelona star

Rob McCarthy

Manchester United have reportedly launched a €40million (£36m) bid to try and land Barcelona star Sergi Roberto.

United are said to be rivaling Chelsea for the Spaniard’s signature as they look to add the finishing touches to their squad ahead of the start of the new Premier League season.

However, Barcelona appear unprepared to sell Roberto after already losing Neymar to PSG, with Mundo Deportivo claiming that Barca have turned down the initial offer from United.

The same report also claims that Chelsea are considering a move for Roberto, with Antonio Conte increasingly keen to add to his squad before the transfer window closes.

Chelsea did not start any of their new players in losing the Community Shield to Arsenal on Sunday and Conte wants more additions at Stamford Bridge as the Blues prepare to defend their title.

Roberto, meanwhile, appears to want to remain at Barcelona, according to a report in the Daily Mirror.

The 25-year-old is a product of the Barca youth academy and has played 153 times for the Catalan giants.

His finest moment in a Barca shirt came when he scored the winning goal against PSG in last season’s amazing Champions League comeback win, netting with the final kick of the game as Barcelona won 6-1 to go through 6-5 on aggregate in the last 16.