Manchester United attempted to sign Eric Dier from Tottenham Hotspur, but refused to meet the £50million asking price.
That’s according to reports on Friday which suggest Jose Mourinho wanted to bring the versatile England international to Old Trafford in 2017.
The Portuguese boss wanted to shore up his defence ahead of the 2017/18 season and identified Dier as a much-needed buffer in midfield.
Michael Carrick had just retired, while the experiment of playing Wayne Rooney in midfield had not worked.
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But Spurs refused to budge unless their £50million evaluation of Dier was met, in the hope it would ward off potential suitors.
According to The Independent, United offered £22.5m (less than half of the valuation) and saw their bid dismissed out of hand.
According to one of the Independent’s sources, the Red Devils’ alleged lowball offer for Dier isn’t the first time they’ve tried to sign a player for significantly less than their club’s valuation.
“It all ties in with what I’ve been told of underwhelming offers United have been making,” the source said.
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United are currently pursuing another promising English defensive talent, with the transfer saga surrounding Crystal Palace defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka threatening to drag on throughout the summer.
The Red Devils have had an opening bid of £50m rejected, with the Eagles holding firm in their valuation of £60m.