Manchester United failed to tempt Colombian World Cup star James Rodriguez to join them after the Monaco play-maker closed in on a deal with Spanish giants Real Madrid.
The Monaco attacking midfielder was already a star heading to the World Cup this summer in Brazil but his performances for Colombia which saw him win the Golden Boot award with six goals has further seen his reputation enhance.
And, European champions Real Madrid are set to announce a deal for the Monaco man next week after agreeing personal terms with the play-maker and a fee with the Ligue 1 side.
The Colombian international is now expected to sign a five-year deal at the Santiago Bernabeu which would see him earn around £7m per season.
However, Football Express News understands that the Colombian international could have joined Manchester United had the Premier League side convinced him to move to England.
It is understood that United were willing to pay around £63m for Rodriguez but failed to agree personal terms after the youngster made his wishes known about moving to the Spanish top flight.
Rodriguez will arrive at Madrid, following German World Cup winner Toni Kroos, who put pen-to-paper at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday.