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Cape Town - Manchester United made an approach for Juventus defender Merih Demiral prior to the English transfer deadline, according to the Serie A club's sporting director, Fabio Paratici.
United reinforced their defence with a record-breaking move for Harry Maguire from Leicester, but reports suggested they were also considering Demiral as a backup plan.
Demiral has never played a competitive match for Juventus after arriving in Turin via Sassuolo this year, but is already an in-demand commodity thanks to his performances in that loan spell.
Now, Paratici has revealed just how close United came to signing the Turkish defender.
"He is our player who has had the most deals on the market, don't imagine how many," he told Gazzetta Dello Sport (via Calciomercato). "The Turk was requested by Milan but was also approached by Manchester United.
"Juve took him for €18 million from Sassuolo and initially set his price for around €40 million."
Any hopes United may have had of partnering Maguire with Demiral in the future appear to be unlikely, with the 21-year-old securing a long-term contract until 2024 at the Allianz Stadium.
