United prepared to offer £86.5m to sign stunning attacking midfielder with more g/a than Bruno Fernandes – report

Manchester United have set their sights on a potential long-term replacement for Bruno Fernandes as part of their efforts to overhaul their midfield. The focus at Old Trafford is first and foremost to fill the void that will be left by the departing Casemiro, who has shielded United’s backline consistently for two years after moving to Manchester from Real Madrid in 2022. However, the side’s chief creator, Fernandes, is not getting any younger either, and might need genuine competition next season. He will turn 32 in September. Manchester United keen on signing Fermin Lopez According to El Chiringuito (via Football Espana), Manchester United are prepared to sign Barcelona attacking midfielder Fermin Lopez in a big-money deal. A product of La Masia’s academy, Lopez has become an influential part of Hansi Flick’s project at Camp Nou after a promising loan spell at Linares. The 22-year-old is known for his well-timed runs into the box and ball-striking, having been directly involved in 28 goals in 39 appearances across all competitions. In comparison, Bruno Fernandes has scored eight goals and provided 17 assists for United this term. Needless to say, Fernandes contributes in more ways than goals and assists and is a much more effective passer than Lopez. Still, the Spaniard is regarded as one of Europe’s most exciting young number 10s due to his goalscoring instinct. Manchester United’s proposal for Fermin Lopez Lopez was the subject of interest from Chelsea last summer, but he ultimately decided to sign a contract extension until the summer of 2031. However, Barcelona, who are blessed with solid depth in Lopez’s position, might not be completely against his departure, given their financial predicament and need to strengthen their backline. El Chiringuito report that United are willing to spend as much as €100 million (£86.5m) on Lopez this summer. It remains unclear whether such a figure would be enough to convince Barca. The Blaugrana are also yet to make a final decision on Marcus Rashford‘s future at Camp Nou. Following his election win, president Joan Laporta said the La Liga giants “will try” to sign Rashford. However, so far, they have shown little desire to trigger the £26m buy option to turn his loan from United into a permanent deal.  Featured image David Ramos via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Vishal Singh Vishal has worked in the football media industry for over six years, planning, writing, and editing content for several major outlets, including North Star Network. Vishal has a bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Delhi University. Currently a writer at The Peoples Person, he covers Manchester United — a club he has been religiously following and supporting since 2012. Vishal also manages a leading MUFC fan page, The Red Devils, on Facebook with over a million likes. Big fan of ball-playing centre-backs and Harry Maguire’s knee-slide celebration!