Jose Mourinho has revealed exactly why he was forced to admit defeat in his pursuit of Alvaro Morata - and it's all Real Madrid's fault.
After Manchester United's 5-2 victory against LA Galaxy, the Portuguese was asked for an update on the collapse of the Red Devils' move for the Spanish striker.
Negotiations between United and Real had reached an impasse over their respective valuations.
United valued Morata at £65m, Real wanted £79m. United called off their pursuit of Morata once they had secured Romelu Lukaku from Everton for £75m, with Mourinho admitting the Morata deal was unlikely to be resurrected.
“It's a question for Florentino [Perez, Real President],” said Mourinho. “What I said today is what I say today. Clubs put price tags on players.
“He belongs to Madrid. Madrid has decided and we have not come to an agreement. It's simple. It's a shame.
“He's a player who made it to the first team with me [at Real]. We have a special liking for him, he's someone special. I enjoyed watching his evolution at Juventus and Madrid. It's like that, but I don’t think he can end with us.”
Mourinho also confirmed that Cristiano Ronaldo will not be returning to Old Trafford.
“We have never thought about it, because he's such an important player for his club, of great economic power, where we have not been able to find for whatever reason that could have made us think that Ronaldo could leave,” said Mourinho.
“I'm not a defender of my club once you waste time on players who are mission impossible.”