Former Barcelona star rejected Manchester United approach before joining Ligue 1 side this summer - Reports
Former Barcelona defender Mikayil Faye turned down a move to Manchester United this summer, according to his agent Andy Bara. The highly rated Senegalese left Camp Nou this year to move to Ligue 1 club Rennes.
The Catalans had high hopes for the player, but failed to guarantee him first team football. With Pau Cubarsi already making waves with the La Liga giants, there was no room for Faye in the squad. The 20-year-old opted to leave in search of regular football and wasn't short of options this summer.
The Red Devils were in the market for defensive reinforcements and were among the clubs eyeing Faye. The Premier League giants bid adieu to Raphael Varane over the summer and were looking for his replacement.
The backline had been Erik ten Hag's bane last summer and he was eager to address the issue before the start of the new campaign. The Dutchman identified Faye as a possible option, but a move failed to materialize.
Speaking to the Inkubator podcast, Bara insisted that his client had no desire to join Manchester United.
“Manchester United were interested in Faye, but he didn’t like that option. He wasn’t a regular at Barcelona, so what did it matter if he hadn’t had the same at United? His development wouldn’t have progressed at all," said Bara.
He continued:
“Barca wanted a buy-back clause in Faye’s contract with Rennais, it was the only condition that Barca accepted. The clause is €30 million (£25m/$33m). Now everything depends on Faye, on how he is going to develop.”
The Red Devils went on to sign Leny Yoro from Lille and Matthijs de Ligt from Bayern Munich to strengthen their backline. Meanwhile, Barcelona's insistence for a buy-back clause keeps the door open to Faye's future return to Camp Nou.
Did another Barcelona star turn down a move to Manchester United this summer?
Frenkie de Jong was also linked with a move to Manchester United this summer, but ended up staying at Barcelona. The Catalans were apparently willing to offload the 27-year-old to address their poor finances.
De Jong's exorbitant wages remain an issue for the La Liga giants. Meanwhile, the Red Devils are long-term admirers of the Dutchman and were also looking for a new midfielder this summer.
The Premier League giants had reportedly agreed a deal with Barcelona for De Jong in 2022, only to be turned down by the player. Manchester United were expected to reignite their interest in the Dutchman this summer but went on to sign Manuel Ugarte from Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) instead.