The world champion who rejected Man United and preferred to stay in Bayern Munich

Manchester United are in the middle of a rebuilding process. The arrival of Sir Jim Ratcliffe as the new owner, in charge of soccer-related decisions, will mean that many things will change in the coming months. This means not only the refurbishment of Old Trafford and Carrington, but also the departure of several players and the arrival of others.

In fact, since the start of the year, two players have already left the squad: Sergio Reguilón returned early to Tottenham and Donny Van De Beek went on loan to Eintracht Frankfurt. In addition, others could follow suit, such as Jadon Sancho, Anthony Martial, Facundo Pellistri and Antony.

But coach Erik Ten Hag will also need new faces to raise the team's level and compete with the other English giants in the Premier League and FA Cup. That is why he targeted some players, mostly forwards, to join during the January transfer window.

One of them was Thomas Muller. The Bayern Munich player, world champion with the German national team in Brazil 2014, is 34 years old and nearing the end of his professional career, although he continues to prove to be a top star. But lately he has lost his place in the Bavarian team, especially since the arrival of Harry Kane. That's why the Red Devils were confident they could convince him to join the squad. However, he preferred to stay in Munich, where he has a contract until June 30, 2025.

Not the only option to fail

In addition to Thomas Muller, Manchester United had also targeted Timo Werner, but the RB Leipzig striker preferred Tottenham and his arrival could be made official in the coming days. Other alternatives for the Red Devils are Stuttgarts' Serhou Guirassy and Borussia Dortmund's Donyell Malen.