Manchester United Have Bid Rejected for Juventus Winger Douglas Costa

Juventus are reported to have rejected a bid worth €30m from Manchester United for Douglas Costa, though the Italians remain hopeful of a transfer as they look to offload their Brazilian attacker this summer.

If you hadn't gathered from their long-running melodramatic pursuit of Jadon Sancho, then United want to add a winger to their ranks over the next few weeks. Negotiations with Borussia Dortmund continue to rumble on, but with no deal imminent as we tick ever closer to the 2020/21 season commencing, it is becoming apparent that United may have to wait...at least another year.

They have been linked with a number of alternative options in the interim. Bournemouth's David Brooks was said earlier this month to be garnering 'serious interest' from Old Trafford, while Costa - who has long been on United's radar - has been frequently linked.

Reports on the latter tend to come from Italy, and Calciomercato last week discussed the possibility of a £72m double deal involving Alex Sandro. While it seems unlikely United will invest that heavily in a new left-back given the financial constraints, Costa has once more come to the surface, with Corriere dello Sport going as far to claim that United have formalised their interest in the shape of a bid.

The newspaper say that United have 'already moved' with a bid worth €30m (£27m) for the 29-year-old, who registered nine assists last season. Juve, though, are thought to be holding out for €40m (£36m) if they are to sanction a sale.

It should be noted that even if this report is on the money, it doesn't spell the end of a move for Sancho. It's normal practice for clubs to pursue contingency plans even with the hopes that plan A will still go ahead, and Corriere dello Sport fail to specify when the bid even arrived - it could be ancient history.

Juve, in any case, are keen to offload Costa along with his hefty annual wage packet. His struggles with injury over the past two seasons, limiting him to 54 appearances since the beginning of 2018/19, have seen him surpassed in the pecking order by Federico Bernardeschi, and it's believed Andrea Pirlo is anxious to redirect his salary elsewhere.