Super agent Jorge Mendes ‘guarantees’ one of Man Utd, Tottenham will launch £61million move for Barcelona forward
Agent Jorge Mendes has told Barcelona he will get a Premier League club to submit a €70million (£61.4m) offer for one of their attackers this summer, according to a report.
Barcelona’s financial problems have been well documented in the last two seasons. It is the main reason why they had to let club legend Lionel Messi go, as they could not afford his huge wages.
Despite all of the club’s issues, they still managed to bring in some top players last summer, including Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, Jules Kounde and Franck Kessie.
Barca president Joan Laporta did this by agreeing several economic levers and selling some of the unwanted players in the squad.
The Blaugrana look set to win their first La Liga title since 2018-19 after building up an 11-point lead on rivals Real Madrid with just six matches to go.
They are intent on winning more domestic trophies and competing with the elite in the Champions League once again.
As a result, they need to bring in some more world-class players later this year, although that will only happen if they can get some of the current crop to leave.
One player who has regularly been linked with a move away from the Nou Camp is winger Ansu Fati. The 20-year-old has struggled to make a big impact for Barca this season after returning from a host of injury problems in the previous campaign.
Ansu Fati linked with Prem move amid Barca struggles
While he has made 45 appearances in all competitions this term, only 11 of those have lasted more than an hour.
Arsenal and Liverpool have both been tipped to snare Fati away from Barca in order to give him more game time. More recently though, Manchester United and Tottenham have been named as the main clubs pursuing him.
According to Spanish outlet Sport, Fati’s agent, Mendes, has ‘guaranteed’ Barca he will manage to bring in a bid worth £61.4m for his client in the upcoming transfer window.
The report does not specifically name Man Utd or Spurs. However, it states that Mendes has told Barca the proposal will come from a Premier League side. And with Man Utd and Spurs the main teams trying to capture Fati, it is most likely one of those two sides who will start negotiations.
The report also provides some insight on Barca’s plans for the Spaniard. While they believe he has good potential, he is not viewed as being part of Xavi’s plans. As such, they will help Mendes in any way possible to get Fati to find a new club.
The youngster could be a good signing for either Man Utd or Spurs. Before his injuries he established himself as one of the best young attackers in Europe.
But the transfer is clearly a risk. If Man Utd or Spurs agree to spend over £61m on Fati and he then gets injured, then his valuation will drop massively.
Barca and Mendes will push hard to give Fati a Prem transfer later this year, but it remains to be seen if that move actually reaches completion.
