Despite the amazing histories of both teams, there are surprisingly few players who have played for both Barcelona and Manchester United.
The list of players who have played for both clubs is incomplete and includes Mark Hughes, Laurent Blanc, Jordi Cruyff, Henrik Larsson, Gerard Pique, Victor Valdes, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Alexis Sanchez, and Memphis.
Although direct transfers between the two teams have always been extremely rare, United might possibly be considering a summer raid on the Catalan powerhouse.
According to The Daily Mail, United is keeping an eye on Mikayil Faye with the goal of making a summer transfer for the Barcelona B star.
United has been following Faye over the past three months after seeing him play for Senegal against Gabon on Friday.
United will have competition from Bayer Leverkusen and Inter Milan, but first, let’s examine Faye’s past performance and see why he is so highly regarded.
Mikayil Faye, the current narrative
Like Sadio Mane, Faye is from Sedhiou in Senegal; in fact, Mane’s hero status is so great that a stadium in Sedhiou bears his name.
After enrolling in the Diambars programme as a teenager and going on trial with teams around Europe, Faye is currently blazing his own trail.
ADDITIONAL UNITED STORIES
Faye was observed by Marseille, Stade de Reims, and Dinamo Zagreb, but it was a different Croatian team that decided to take a risk on him.
Faye was acquired by NK Kustosija in 2022, and during the 2022–2023 season, he made 14 appearances for the main team.
Barcelona paid €5 million (£4.3 million) to bring Faye to Catalunya and start him in their B team after liking what they saw.
With three goals in 24 appearances, the 19-year-old has established himself as a mainstay for the Barcelona B team, although he has not yet made his first-team debut.
On Friday, Faye was awarded his first cap for Senegal and contributed a goal to the team’s 3-0 victory over Gabon.
La Liga: FC Barcelona vs. RCD Mallorca Joan Valls/Urbanandsport/NurPhoto via Getty Images for EA Sports
Profile of player Mikayil Faye
Mikayil Faye, their statements
The quality that I admire most about him is his composure. He is a quiet, quite typical young man. He’s incredibly grounded, unlike most gifted young players. As a football player, if I had to pick one thing to emphasise, it would be that this guy is faster than everyone. In football, the boy possesses exceptional speed and strength. — Former NK Kustosija teammate Carlos Olmo.
“I had the chance to see him a little recently in addition to getting to know him quite a bit throughout the preseason. I consider him to be really talented. He possesses a fantastic left foot and is incredibly energetic, dynamic, and aggressive when it comes to the ball. He recently moved to a new nation where he is learning the language, and from what I’ve heard, he is doing really well. I see someone who is motivated to work, and I believe he will have a successful future. Jules Kounde, a teammate from Barcelona.
“As a matter of fact, I’ve never seen a young person of his age exhibit such maturity or talent. He’s Croatia’s best left-back, in my opinion. He is superior to everyone in his position; all you have to do is look at the strongest players. Former leader of NK Kustosija, Samir Toplak.
“I would say that Mikayil is more aggressive and powerful than [Josko] Gvardiol if we compare them at the same age. “He has more shooting ability and is technically better,” said Ugo Klingor, a former coach of NK Kustosija.
“I discovered he was playing for Barcelona after the game. I’m not surprised; he had a fantastic match. Mario Lemina, a midfielder for Wolves, said of the brilliant young player who scored a beautiful goal against Faye on Friday.
“Mika Faye is different from other centre backs because of his special circumstances, but we still need to work with him because he has a lot of talent and a good left foot. Although he meets the requirements, Rafa Marquez, the manager of Barcelona B, feels that he needs to focus more and not let up sometimes.
Mikayil Faye’s critique of Manchester United
We can appreciate Lisandro Martinez’s interest in Faye as a rival.
Although the Argentinian is an essential member of the United team, his injury history over his first two seasons at Old Trafford is alarming.
Currently, it could be more important to find another left-footed centre back, ideally a young player with potential for development.
Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite is a top target, although Faye is even more flexible as a left back and would probably be less expensive.
Barcelona will eventually have to sell players, but they won’t want to lose Faye, especially so soon after signing him.
That might work perfectly in United’s favour because a summer transfer for Faye is looking more and more enticing, despite his lack of La Liga experience.
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