Manchester United Transfer Rumors: Red Devils Must Not Up Offer for Lucas Moura

Money is hardly an object for Manchester United, but there comes a point when a club must evaluate how the finances are being allocated.

Brazilian international Lucas Moura is a great talent, there's no denying that, but he isn't worth the inordinate price tag that comes along with acquiring his services.

Sao Paulo football club has recently claimed that they rejected Manchester United's most recent bid of £29.8 million (€38 million)  for the 19-year-old midfielder (via Mirror Football). This news comes after United was extremely confident that it would be able to bring in Moura after sending a contingent of higher-ups to Brazil.

According to the Mirror Football report, the Brazilian football club denied United's previous bid of £25.9 million (€33 million), despite that being their previous asking price.

It is being said that the club would accept an offer of €35 million for one of its most prized possessions. However, the team owns just 80 percent of the rights to Moura, meaning that the total fee would need to go beyond €44 million to make up the difference. That stake will drop another 10 percent at the end of the month, as Moura will obtain another 10 percent himself.

United should offer no higher than €38 million for Moura, and even that is a bit steep.

The Red Devils are in a position of power in this situation. Sao Paulo has no sponsor to its credit, and one of the only things keeping it from a financial problem is holding onto Moura to bring in outside investors.

Mirror Football reported (via Brazilian outlet Lance!) that some parts of Sao Paulo upper management are keen on shipping their star elsewhere while they still have an offer on the table, and that "some club officials would have already sold their prized asset at United’s initial valuation."

This is a simple business tactic. It's yet another battle between a small-market club and a big-market club. United can make most organizations look small-market, so it has the upper hand in these negotiations.

Sao Paulo obviously isn't in the best financial shape if they are shopping one of their most prized assets. With no sponsor, United's contribution for Moura would likely be a huge help to the stability of the organization. By no means does this mean that Sao Paulo is on the verge of crisis, but the club wouldn't be looking for such a high asking price if it wasn't in need of cash.

There is a chasm amongst those in charge, meaning that internal deliberations could cause the club to sway towards selling Moura while they still have a chance. Only time will tell if that is fact.

Furthermore, the club's stake in Moura will drop to 70 percent by the end of the month. It will need to sell Moura as quick as possible, as the more its stock in the player drops, the higher the next asking price must be to make up for the decrease in percentage.

United is in prime position here—one that any business would love to find itself in. The Red Devils are certainly a business, and if they wait the right amount of time, they could come away with a bargain of sorts for Moura.