According to reports emanating from Sky Sports and the British tabloid The Sun, Manchester United have moved to quash an earlier report claiming they had lodged a bid for Bayern Munich’s Franck Ribery.
British broadsheet The Guardian wrote that sources in Munich had confirmed that the Red Devils had offered around €70 million (£62.5m) for the France international.
It is thought that the 26-year-old playmaker will depart the Allianz Arena at the end of the season, and he has been linked with clubs in Italy and Spain.
However, it seems that the former Marseille and Galatasaray star will not be heading for Old Trafford.
Apparently, while United manager Alex Ferguson is said to be an admirer of the versatile midfielder, any deal is dependent on Cristiano Ronaldo moving to Real Madrid, but it appears that he will not be moving to the Santiago Bernabeu after claiming that his ‘Real Madrid dream was dead.’
The Sun claims that Wigan Athletic winger Antonio Valencia is, therefore, back on Manchester United’s radar as a much less expensive alternative.
Ricky Brooks, Goal.com