Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho has prevented midfielder Ander Herrera moving to Barcelona, according to a report in Sport.
The Spanish news outlet has revealed that the United boss refused to give the go-ahead to the 27-year-old’s move after the La Liga giants made contact over a possible summer transfer.
Sport claim that Nou Camp manager Ernesto Valverde values Herrera’s star quality, but failed to progress any further in pursuing the Spaniard beyond making contact with United.
It is said that the Manchester playmaker would have liked to have played for Valverde’s club, but current boss Mourinho wasn’t willing to allow a deal to proceed.
The former Chelsea manager isn’t willing to sell Manchester United’s Player of the Year after the midfielder made a vital contribution over the 2016/17 campaign which saw the club win the Community Shield, League Cup, and most recently the Europa League trophy.
However, the club had an unsuccessful run in the Premier League, where Mourinho’s squad finished in sixth place, and the boss will hope to rely on Herrera’s efforts to help United improve next season.
This report follows a recent story from the Independent which claimed that it would take a bid of at least £60 million for Mourinho to consider a move for Herrera.
The Spanish midfielder moved to Old Trafford from Athletic Bilbao in 2014 in a deal worth over £30 million, and is set to enter his last 12 months with United.
Mourinho appears to value Herrera highly enough that he will risk losing last seasons player of the year for free next summer.