Barcelona attacking midfielder received ‘very attractive’ offer from Manchester City | OneFootball

Manchester City swooped in on one of Barcelona’s newest rising names in midfielder during the summer months, according to fresh reports from Spanish media.

The Etihad Stadium recruitment team have continued to expand their focus on elite European youth markets in recent windows, building on a long-term strategy that has seen them target standout prospects in Spain, Portugal, and South America.

This approach has often led to battles with Europe’s biggest clubs – including Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, and Barcelona – for players capable of progressing through the club’s pathway or eventually gaining value across the wider City Football Group network.

This latest development also follows several similar attempts from City in recent months. Most recently, the Premier League giants were reported to be leading the push for Leicester City wonderkid Jeremy Monga, and have additionally been linked with South American forward Neiser Villarreal among other names.

Barcelona, meanwhile, have been working hard to retain their top prospects amid intense external pressure. Youth talents have increasingly become priority protection assets at the Camp Nou given the club’s financial constraints and desire to build the future squad from within.

But according to the information of Spanish newspaper Sport, as translated and relayed by Sport Witness, Manchester City made a concrete effort to sign Barcelona talent Dro Fernández last summer.

It is highlighted that the 17-year-old remains registered with the Camp Nou club’s youth team and has an ‘affordable’ release clause embedded into his contractual agreement, although such figures are not mentioned within the report.

The teenager’s agent is said to have received ‘very attractive offers’ last summer and the proposal of Premier League giants Manchester City had conditions ‘far superior’ to his current contract at Barcelona.

In fact, it is pointed out that such an approach from Pep Guardiola’s side made the La Liga champions promote him to their senior team, maintaining total commitment towards the Spain Under-18 international and wanting to offer him an improved contract in 2026.

Fernández’s rapid rise has already been recognised at Barcelona, with senior promotion coming early in the season after a standout summer preparation period. His time with the first team included Champions League involvement under Hansi Flick, delivering an assist in a convincing European win.

Looking forward, Barcelona are expected to accelerate contract talks sooner than planned to avoid vulnerability around his release clause – a growing trend in their youth structure as rival clubs circle their brightest assets.

For Manchester City, their approach signals that interest in elite technical midfield profiles remains high, especially for players capable of fitting Pep Guardiola’s positional play demands or featuring elsewhere within the CFG umbrella.

Whether Manchester City officials revisit their interest may depend on how Barcelona handle renewal negotiations over the coming year, particularly as the teenager turns 18 and becomes eligible to signing a professional agreement.