‘Man United offered world record fee for Bayern’s Thomas Muller’

Manchester United are willing to pay 80 million euros for Thomas Muller
Manchester United are willing to pay 80 million euros for Thomas Muller

Manchester United made a world-record bid for German striker Thomas Muller last summer, according to Bayern Munich’s chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.

The 26-year-old was heavily linked with a move to Old Trafford last year but the German champions refused to sell their star player at any price.

Speaking to German publication Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Rummenigge said: ‘We had a mad offer from Manchester United last year, which was not a topic for one second. We could have secured a world-record transfer fee.

‘Thomas Muller came out of (the youth academy). (He is) born near Munich, formed here, the hero of the fans.’

After failing to lure Muller to England, Man United eventually turned their attention to Monaco’s young starlet Anthony Martial and signed the French striker for a reported fee of £36 million.

Meanwhile, Rummenigge also revealed that Bayern Munich were offered the chance to sign Kevin De Bruyne last summer before the Belgian midfielder moved to Manchester City for £54.5 million.

‘We had an offer to sign De Bruyne in 2015 for the following year,’ he said.

‘The fee plus salary amounted to over 100 million euros, so the risk was too high. We have now signed a centre-back in Mats Hummels, because we have enough quality and quantity in attack.’

Bayern Munich have since completed the signing the German centre back Mats Hummels from Borussia Dortmund and talented young midfielder Renato Sanchez from Benfica to bolster their squad for Carlo Ancelotti’s first season at the Allianz Arena.

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