Manchester United have rarely missed a beat in the transfer market since Erik ten Hag was appointed as manager last summer, but their latest rejection flags up one remaining challenge for Ten Hag and key figures responsible for incomings and outgoings to overcome in the following weeks.
Aside from their garishly public attempts to sign Frenkie de Jong - who resisted the Reds' advances to become a key player for them last season by staying put at Barcelona - his former Ajax manager Ten Hag and the United recruitment team have, generally speaking, acted promptly and decisively in the market.
Lisandro Martinez, Casemiro and Antony were mainstays in their debut seasons, so too Christian Eriksen after being identified as an effective (if shorter-term) alternative to De Jong in the engine room.
Arriving on a free transfer, the Denmark playmaker was the bargain of the summer. Want to join our MUFC Pro club for a totally ad-free version of the MEN's dedicated Manchester United FC app packed with premium features?