Aston Villa and Man Utd see 'approaches' rebuffed for £58m La Liga star

Barcelona winger Fermín López was reportedly the subject of failed approaches from both Aston Villa and Manchester United during the winter transfer window.

A report from Spain has revealed the two Premier League clubs were keen on bringing Fermín to England and even attempted audacious moves to make that a reality. Sport claims Villa and Man Utd were both “ready to offer” €70 million (£58.3m) for Fermín in January but the 21-year-old was not interested in leaving for the Premier League.

Fermín has started just nine games in all competitions for Barça this season but has managed to rack up a fairly impressive tally of four goals and four assists in those matches. Capable of playing on the left flank or as an attacking midfielder, the versatile Spaniard is hoping to become a more regular starter in La Liga as Barcelona chase fellow La Liga title challengers Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid.

Last summer’s Olympic Games in Paris gave Fermín a superb chance to shine as he scored five goals in three matches for Spain before going on to collect a gold medal. France were the runners-up in the competition to take silver, while Morocco surprised a few to reach the third step and clinch bronze.

Villa and Man Utd target same Greek wonderkids

Fermín isn’t the only joint transfer target for Villa and United as both clubs are interested in signing Olympiacos duo Charalampos Kostoulas and Christos Mouzakitis alongside Arsenal and Brentford.

As Birmingham World exclusively revealed, Villa and Arsenal have made official enquiries to sign Kostoulas and Mouzakitis, while United and Brentford have sent scouts to watch the pair in action this season.

Kostoulas, a centre-forward, is already showing he’s capable of finding match-winning moments as he recently scored a brace - including a goal deep in second-half stoppage time - to beat Aris 2-1. The 17-year-old, very fast but also tall at 6ft 1in, scored his first Olympiacos goal against PAOK and registered an important assist in the 3-0 win over Qarabag in the Europa League.

Mouzakitis, meanwhile, is already a full Greece international. The 18-year-old, a left-footed central midfielder, has been likened to Andres Iniesta by local supporters as he’s got an outstanding understanding of the game at his tender age. Capable of anything from controlling the tempo of matches to finding defence-splitting passes, Mouzakitis is a huge talent.