"?Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has lifted the lid on Manchester United's pursuit of Thomas Muller, claiming that the Premier League club was willing to break the world transfer record to land the German forward last year, per "?Manchester Evening News.
United made a 'mad' offer which would have eclipsed the £85m transfer fee Real Madrid paid to sign Gareth Bale from Tottenham, according to the chairman.
Louis van Gaal, United's manager at the time, was desperate for a world-class forward to lead his attack, and executive vice chairman Ed Woodward was prepared to pay whatever it took.
However, Bayern were keen to hold on to the star, who came up through their youth academy.
"We had a mad offer from Manchester United last year, which was not a topic for one second," he told Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung .
"We could have secured a world-record transfer fee.
"Thomas Muller came out of it [the youth academy]. [He is] born near Munich, formed here, the hero of the fans."
Muller is one of the most prolific forwards on the European continent, a pacey and versatile attacker, deployed in the midfield as well as up front. Also technically gifted, the German international is good at making runs and finding gaps in defences.
He scored 32 goals in 49 appearances for Bayern over the season, and would have certainly been a hit at Old Trafford if the club had prised him away from the German giants.
They did land Anthony Martial, who had a good first season at the club, yet Muller would have been a much better buy.