- Both Premier League clubs eyeing Fermin
- Bids reportedly tabled in July
- Barca plan to keep midfielder
Per Sport, both United and Chelsea tabled huge bids for Fermin towards the end of July. However, there was some disagreement at Barca over whether to sell the star or not; several board members believed a sale would help fund the registration of new players, but manager Hansi Flick wanted him to stay.
The report claims negotiations lasted for over a week with both United and Chelsea attempting to extricate Fermin. Flick is said to have intervened personally to ensure that the attacking midfielder stayed at Camp Nou.
Fermin has made a total of 89 appearances for Barca, scoring 19 goals and registering 11 assists. He has also won two caps for Spain.
Barca play Levante this weekend. Fermin will hope to be involved.
