Man Utd to HIJACK dream Barcelona move for ex-academy graduate

Manchester United are ready to WRECK Barcelona’s plans to bring Dani Olmo back from RB Leipzig.

It was reported earlier in the week that the Spanish playmaker’s representatives had met with Barca’s top brass in an effort to work out the terms of a deal ahead of the summer transfer window.

Sporting director Deco was reported to have met with Juanma Lopez and Andy Bara - Olmo’s agents - along with the player’s father Miquel Olmo, as relayed by Mundo Deportivo.

One complicating factor however for any Barca deal is the price tag set by the Red Bulls, with Olmo’s contract containing a €60 million release clause.

READ MORE: Romano CONFIRMS Real Madrid's summer transfer plans as Chelsea & Man Utd suffer blow

With club president Joan Laporta out of financial levers to pull, it’s unlikely Barca could get to that sum unless they activate new sponsorships or offload some big names.

Olmo, 25, is under contract with the Germans until 2027, having signed a renewal in 2023.

With RB Leipzig not budging on their €60m valuation of their prized asset, it could open the door to clubs who can afford to pay it.

And Mundo Deportivonow reports that Barca are facing “tough competition” in the race for their own La Masia graduate.

Man Utd prepare to hijack Barca bid for Olmo

Manchester United are in the market for additional attackers this summer and have been named as the strongest suitors for Olmo.

The Spain international has suffered a severely injury-hit campaign, missing most of the autumn with a shoulder problem, but he is beginning to look back to his old self.

He scored a hat-trick in the DFB Super Cup against Bayern Munich in August and has recently come back into form following a long layoff, excelling in a recent friendly at Santiago Bernabeu against Brazil.

Dani Olmo - from La Masia to World Class

Olmo played from Barca from the age of nine but left aged 16 in 2014 for the unfamiliar surroundings of Dinamo Zagreb when it became apparent he would not get a smooth path to the Barca first team.

He shone for the Croatian giants, winning five league titles, before earning a big-money move to Leipzig.

Catalan-born Olmo has since established himself as one of the best playmakers in Europe but has been reported to be unhappy with the lack of progress made by Leipzig this season.

The Red Bull-owned outfit are currently fourth in the Bundesliga, scrapping for the fourth Champions League place, and are a long way adrift of both champions Bayer Leverkusen and second-placed Bayern.

Previously, Chelsea AND Manchester City were reported to be keen on Olmo, but it's United that Catalan media are most concerned about in the competition for the attacker.