Manchester United wanted to sign Noah Darvich before he moved to Barcelona from Freiburg.
The 16-year-old joined Barca for a bargain £2.5 million fee earlier this month, and they immediately inserted a €1 billion release clause into his contract (Corriere Dello Sport).
Erik ten Hag was known for giving talented youngsters a chance during his time in charge of Ajax.
However, the Premier League is a different animal to the Eredivisie, so the Dutchman can’t afford to bring too many unproven young players into the club.
Ten Hag needs results now, so will understandably want to sign proven, ready-made stars.
That said, he seemingly was prepared to take a punt on Darvich.
Manchester United missed out on Noah Darvich to Barcelona
United were one of the clubs who tried to sign the teenager from Freiburg before he moved to Camp Nou.
The German attacking midfielder is incredibly talented, and Xavi has already called him up from the youth ranks to train with the senior team.
The fact he has a €1bn release clause in his contract tells us all we need to know about just how highly he is regarded at Barcelona.
Maybe Man United should have pushed harder to sign Noah Darvich from Freiburg. Only time will tell regarding that.
The Barca starlet is still very young and has a long and winding road ahead of him before we will know whether Man United missed out on an elite player.
Read also: Manchester United allowing 26-year-old to join bitter rivals Liverpool this summer would be inexcusable.
