Manchester United and Chelsea are both interested in highly-rated Barcelona midfield duo Gavi and Pedri, according to reports from Spain.
Over the summer, Manchester United fortified their midfield roster, with Erik ten Hag acquiring Mason Mount from Chelsea at a £55m cost, and securing a season-long loan deal for Sofyan Amrabat.
Similarly, Chelsea strengthened their midfield with the summer acquisitions of Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia, shelling out a combined £173m for the pair.
Nevertheless, the managers from both sides are actively seeking to add a new midfielder to their squads in the upcoming January transfer window, setting the stage for potential competition over Gavi and Pedri.
Barcelona’s head coach, Xavi, holds both players in high esteem, suggesting that it would take a substantial bid to pry them away from Camp Nou in the winter season.
Spanish publication SPORT reports that both Manchester United and Chelsea have demonstrated ‘interest’ in the Barcelona midfielders recently.
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The publication also highlighted Barcelona’s financial difficulties, pointing out the club’s necessity to sell players before making new acquisitions, and suggesting that Gavi and Pedri could generate a substantial return, given their estimated value of over €100m (£87m) each.
Despite this, Xavi’s preference is reportedly to retain both players for as long as possible.
SPORT also mentioned that other players, including Ansu Fati—who is currently on loan at Brighton and Hove Albion—might be more likely to depart at season’s end, although Barcelona might consider selling him permanently for the right amount.
However, if the club is unable to secure enough funds from selling other players, they might be compelled to accept a significant offer for either Gavi or Pedri at the season’s conclusion.
Consequently, Manchester United and Chelsea fans are encouraged to watch these developments closely.
