Manchester United Transfer News: Nicolas Otamendi Pursuit Ended, Latest Rumours

It's Sergio Ramos or bust for Manchester United, who will refrain from making an attempt to sign an alternative centre-back if the Real Madrid man can't be lured to Old Trafford.

That's according to Mike Keegan of the Daily Mail:

This includes Valencia centre-back Nicolas Otamendi, as revealed by James Robson of the Manchester Evening News.

"(Manager) Louis van Gaal has dismissed any chance of signing the Argentine defender," reported Robson, who also wrote: "United believe they are being used to ramp up interest in the Valencia player."

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Robson added to this notion on Twitter, but suggested Otamendi could still find himself in Manchester by the end of the transfer window:

Van Gaal and United feel "betrayed" by Ramos—seemingly the club's only defensive target—according to Jeremy Cross of the Daily Star. This stems from Ramos initially telling Los Blancos officials he wants to join United, per Sid Lowe of the Guardian. This is a claim now countered by Cross, who reported "he was playing a game all along."

"In the end it appears all he wanted was a new contract at Real and it looks like he's going to get one as well," reported Cross. "It's not the sort of behaviour you'd expect from a player of his standing in the game. It's like he's betrayed United."

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Otamendi previously refused to return to Valencia training in an attempt to push a United transfer through, per Simon Jones of the MailOnline. This now seems futile.

Van Gaal has bought well this summer—adding Memphis Depay, Matteo Darmian, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Morgan Schneiderlin and Sergio Romero to his options—but central defence remains a major area of concern for the club. Chris Smalling showed improvements at the latter end of last season, but finding him an assertive, experienced partner should remain a priority.

To counter aforementioned claims, Duncan Castles of One World Sports reported that Valencia "expect" United to make an official bid for Otamendi before the end of the transfer window.

Versatile Dutchman Daley Blind has fulfilled a centre-back role during United's pre-season tour of America, something Stuart Mathieson of the Manchester Evening News suggests he could carry into the Premier League opener on Aug. 8:

The current window is a key one for Van Gaal. If United struggle after he fails to land a world-class centre-back, his position at the club will be intensely scrutinised. This would be a fair reaction after Van Gaal just managed to see United into the final Champions League spot after failing to adequately bolster his defensive options last season.

Add in Rhys Turrell of the Daily Star's report on the likelihood that goalkeeper David De Gea could still join Madrid, and it's possible Van Gaal's defensive lineup will actually turn out to be less wholesome when the upcoming campaign arrives.