Manchester United Transfer News: Real Madrid Confirm Fabio Coentrao Stays

Manchester United left it too late to sign Real Madrid defender Fabio Coentrao, and the Spanish club provided official clarification over the player’s future on Wednesday.

UPDATE: Wednesday, September 4, at 3:30 p.m. BST

Real Madrid have confirmed, via UEFA.com, that Coentrao is in their squad for the 2013/14 Champions League group stage:

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United appeared to have signed the Portugal international when Primera Division officials released a statement announcing the move, only to quickly retract it.

The anticipated transfer had fans across the country excited by Coentrao's arrival, including one or two from the celebrity world.

However, reports later emerged that the relevant paperwork was not completed for the loan to go through, per David McDonnell of the Daily Mirror, although neither club has yet offered official word on the situation.

The complex transfer situation also involved Granada and Benfica, who agreed the loan switch of Guilherme Siqueira. Madrid had wanted Siqueira to fill the void left by Coentrao’s exit to United.

In truth, it was a fitting end to a messy transfer window for United, who have not operated smoothly since the departures of Sir Alex Ferguson and David Gill.

Manager David Moyes was vocal in his early-summer pursuits of Thiago Alcantara and Cesc Fabregas, even when told by Barcelona they would not accept a fee for the latter. Both ended in embarrassing failure for the champions.

They then targeted Everton pair Marouane Fellaini and Leighton Baines, only to have an initial £28 million bid for the pair labelled “insulting.”

United ended up paying £27 million for Fellaini, nearly £4 million more than the release clause they could have triggered earlier in the summer.

Athletic Bilbao's Ander Herrera also became a target, only for reports of a done deal to prove unfounded when it emerged that three imposters had been acting as United representatives.

The deal for Coentrao would have gone a small way to salvaging Moyes’ transfer window, but United failed once again—and Madrid’s word is final.