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What's the story?
Manchester United target, Jerome Boateng, has called Jose Mourinho to inform the Portuguese manager that he does not want to move to Old Trafford this summer according to the German newspaper, Bild. The German international has been heavily linked with a move to United and many outlets had reported that talks had begun for the signature of the 29-year-old.
In case you didn't know...
Manchester United flew to Munich earlier this week for a preseason friendly leading to rumours of Boateng's potential transfer to Old Trafford. According to numerous sources, talks had been initiated with the German defender as United desperately try to sign a new defensive player before the transfer window closes for English clubs on Thursday.
However, it now seems that Boateng is the second player this summer to reject a move to Old Trafford. It had emerged last week that Real Madrid star, Mateo Kovacic, had said no to a move to Manchester after a €60 million bid had been accepted for his services.
While reports indicated that Kovacic rejected United because he felt the style of play didn't suit his preferences, Boateng had told Mourinho that he wishes to stay at Bayern to work with their new coach, Niko Kovac.
The heart of the matter
Manchester United's summer transfer window has slowly slid into embarrassment. From public disagreements between the manager and the executive vice-chairman to failed pursuits of stars and rejection from players, the Red Devils have a lot of work to do if they wish to salvage this summer transfer period.
The elimination of Boateng as a target for Manchester United makes it extremely likely they will move for either Toby Alderweireld or Harry Maguire before the 5 pm GMT deadline.
Rumour Rating: 9/10
Bild is a well-established national media source in Germany and it is extremely likely that this report is true. It seems that Boateng decided to call Mourinho and inform him that a move this summer is off the cards.
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What's Next?
Time is running out for United as they prepare for the upcoming season. The next 48 hours is sure to bring lots of rumours connecting defenders with the Manchester club. Whether they can secure the services of any of their targets or not is another matter. One thing is for sure, United will not want another public rejection.
