Dani Olmo Spain 2019Getty Images

Olmo reveals he received offers from Barca & Premier League clubs before sealing RB Leipzig switch

Dani Olmo has confirmed that he received an offer to return to Barcelona and turned down proposals from Premier League clubs before completing a move to RB Leipzig in the winter transfer window.

Olmo emerged as one of the brightest prospects in Europe last year after playing a starring role in Spain's Under-21 European Championships triumph and helping Dinamo Zagreb qualify for the Champions League.

A number of top clubs were reportedly linked with the 21-year-old, including Manchester United, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain, but Camp Nou was touted as his most likely next destination.

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The mercurial midfielder rose through the La Masia academy ranks before undertaking a new challenge in Croatia back in 2014, and a return to Barca was believed to be on the cards in January.

However, Olmo ended up signing for Leipzig in a deal which could end up being worth (£21m/$28m) with add-ons, committing to a four-year contract with the Bundesliga club.

The Spain international has now revealed that he rejected the chance to move to the Premier League, while also choosing to ignore interest from Italy in favour of a more attractive "project" with Leipzig.

"I had several offers, not only from Spain, but also from Italy and England," Olmo told Mundo Deportivo. "But RB Leipzig was the team that bet the most.

"The sports director came to see me in Zagreb and the coach called me to convey his interest because he wanted me to be part of his staff. And that was very important to me.

"The project they offered me was not given to me by any other team. This is how I felt and I was determined that it was the best option. I am clear about the path I want to travel and what I have to do to achieve it."

Olmo added on how close he came to going back to Barcelona: "They [Barcelona] spoke to my agents in November as if they wanted to make the transfer very quickly, but then everything was postponed for one reason or another.

"And then near the end of January, when they asked me to wait to see, it was already almost done with Leipzig. At that time, I had already signed up. Because I wanted to go to a team that had a project now and in the future for me.

"Leipzig offered it to me and other teams did not. I went to the team that insisted the most and showed the most that they wanted me."

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