Eric Abidal: Barcelona Didn't Want Bruno Fernandes Before Manchester United Move

Barcelona sporting director Eric Abidal has said Barcelona didn't want to sign Bruno Fernandes before his transfer from Sporting CP to Manchester United.

Abidal told Sport (h/t Metro) that he admires the Portugal international, but admitted the Spanish champions were interested in signing Valencia forward Rodrigo.

"He [Fernandes] is an interesting player, but the agents try to do their job," Abidal said. "We did not have that need. They sell you the product, but we were not interested at all. Rodrigo really interested us."

The former Sporting skipper finally made a move to Old Trafford after protracted negotiations, with the midfielder completing a €80 million (£67.6 million) deal, per Metro.

Sky Sports News reported on January 28 Barca were ready to snatch the player from United's arms with a late bid, and would use Fernandes in a deal to sign Rodrigo. It was reported the Catalan club would negotiate an 18-month loan for Fernandes to Valencia.

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However, United got their primary target, and it seems Barca weren't interested in capturing the talisman.

Fernandes made his Premier League debut on Saturday during the goalless draw against Wolverhampton Wanderers, and the midfielder will be used for his creativity by the Red Devils.

Speaking to fan outlet Batzine (h/t AS), Valencia president Anil Murthy explained Barca's bid for Rodrigo fell short of their valuation:

"Valencia did not receive a suitable offer that reflected the high quality of the player. Everyone in the market knows what Valencia were asking for.

"And if you can offer with real cash, then great. If you can't guarantee an exact kind of payment, then we can't go through with it. We'll not entertain offers which are not backed by money, because it also destabilises the player."

Barca ended January without a major striking addition despite Luis Suarez being forced out by a knee injury.

The La Liga holders announced the January signings of Braga's Francisco Trincao and Palmeira's Matheus Fernandes, but both will remain with their clubs until the summer.