Manchester United Confirm Imposters Tried to Negotiate Deal for Ander Herrera

Ander Herrera might have been a Manchester United transfer target on deadline day, but he was not targeted by anyone with the clearance to authorize such a move. 

As confirmed by BBC Radio Manchester on Twitter, negotiations for the Athletic Bilbao midfielder were conducted by "imposters" who were not acting on the club's behalf:

Sid Lowe of The Guardian, however, disputes this story, saying it's not true.

David Moyes' outfit had been linked to the Spanish player throughout the final few hours of the transfer window, and at one point, it looked like Herrera was headed for Old Trafford.

ITV Football certainly thought so:

The Mirror's John Cross did, too, when glancing at reports coming from Spain:

Optimism later turned to skepticism, as the Daily Mail's Chris Wheeler and Adam Crafton reported that complicated paperwork issues were threatening to derail the deal. Per the report, United were willing to pay Herrera's buyout clause figure of £30.5 million, but were struggling with "tax-related issues."  

AS reporter Guillem Balague later broke word that the deal was off:

Sky Sports followed up with an in-depth look at that reality:

The latest twist is a storyline no one saw coming. 

Herrera, who scored two goals in 29 La Liga appearances for Bilbao last season, is just 24 years old and has played for Spain's U-21 and Olympic squads. Despite a hefty buyout clause, it appeared United were prepared to accept his lofty fee number and move forward. 

And by United, I mean three men who were in no way associated with the Red Devils.  

The transfer window never ceases to bring unexpected moments, but this is one that will go down in the history books.