Manchester United Transfer News: Thomas Muller Reportedly Wanted 'At All Costs'

Manchester United went all out to sign Bayern Munich’s Thomas Muller this summer, according to reputable agent Giovanni Branchini.

During a Q&A session with CalcioMercato.com (h/t Mike Keegan of MailOnline), Branchini, who has represented players such as Clarence Seedorf, Ronaldo and Romario, claimed the Red Devils were ready to do whatever it took to land Muller, but the Bundesliga giants held firm.

“Manchester United wanted Thomas Muller at all costs,” said the agent. “I’ve spent days trying to explain Bayern Munich would never let him leave—so in the end they changed their mind.”

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There were reports from Bild during the summer (h/t Rob Dawson of the Manchester Evening News) that United made a major effort to bring Muller to the club with a £60 million bid, which would substantiate Branchini’s claims. 

Muller would have been a tremendous acquisition for the Red Devils. The Germany international is a player who is capable of operating in a variety of positions, but regardless of where he is stationed in the team, the Bayern man always seems to have a telling impact in the final third, whether that be goals or assists.

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As we can see here, courtesy of Squawka Football, Muller has consistently made these kinds of telling contributions for the German juggernauts at the highest level:

So it’s easy to see why Bayern eventually stood firm. After all, Muller not only conjures huge moments on the field, but as a player who has been brought up through the ranks with the Munich outfit, he’s also someone supporters can relate to. For a club like Bayern, it’s critical to have figures who possess that local identity.

Losing Bastian Schweinsteiger, another player who held a strong affinity with the Allianz Arena faithful, to United meant that if Muller had gone the same way, there would have been major unrest within the Bayern fanbase.

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In the end, United went after Anthony Martial on the final day of the transfer window to bolster their options at the sharp end of the pitch. While he’s nowhere near the finished article or to Muller’s standard yet, he’s made an impressive start and has outshone some big names, as noted by Alex Shaw of ESPN:

Still, Muller would have been a fantasy capture and money well spent for the Red Devils, even for the aforementioned fee of £60 million. It’s tough to prise players away from the likes of Bayern unless they have an active interest in moving them on, and when they are so important to the team, as Muller is, any offer is going to be resisted.

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One way or another, United ended up with a young forward who ties in superbly with their longstanding principles anyway. It’d be no surprise if they tried to prise Muller out of Bayern in the windows to come, but given just how significant a figure the forward is at the Allianz Arena, the Red Devils should probably expect a similar rebuttal.