Norwich City are said to have turned down two loan offers from Barcelona for right-back Max Aarons, as there was no obligation to buy clause inserted into either bid.
Despite the Canaries' poor defensive record during their 2019/20 season in the Premier League, 20-year-old Aarons attracted plenty of interest as a result of his impressive individual displays.
The Athletic's David Ornstein has now reported that Barcelona have seen two offers rejected by Norwich for Aarons. The right-back had agreed personal terms with La Blaugrana a while ago, but their lack of success in striking a deal with Norwich means they will now turn their attention towards Ajax's Sergino Dest.
Ornstein initially claimed one offer could have been worth £20m plus bonuses, but later addressed this, instead stating that Barça made two loan bids with an option to buy. The first 'dialogue' between the two clubs was regarding a loan with an option to buy, and no financial penalties depending on the number of appearances he makes during his spell with the club.
The second bid was similar, but did include financial penalties relating to appearances. But Norwich refused both approaches as they are seeking an obligation to buy for any deal. Of course, as seen with the sale of Jamal Lewis to Newcastle, Norwich will be open to selling on a permanent basis immediately should a suitable offer come in.
For Barcelona, this may be challenging, however. They will now instead pursue Dest as Ronald Koeman looks to strengthen at right-back - with Nelson Semedo's future still up in the air. However, Bayern Munich are also interested in the young Ajax defender, and Bild recently reported that they had agreed personal terms with the 19-year-old.
Interestingly, however, Bayern are also keeping a close eye on Aarons. It remains to be seen where the Norwich man will be playing his football this term, but there is undoubtedly great interest from a number of clubs. The matter of any club agreeing a fee with Norwich appears to be the sticking point at this moment in time.
Source: 90min
