Manchester United's desperation to bring Gareth Bale back to the Premier League may have opened the door for Liverpool to land Memphis Depay.
United seemed certain to buy the 21-year-old PSV Eindhoven winger after indicating that they were willing to pay the £25million asking price.
But United have been given fresh encouragement in recent days that Real Madrid will cash in on Bale in the summer after a season in which he has been hounded by the Bernabeu fans.
The Old Trafford club don’t want to miss out on Bale for a second time after Madrid beat them to the £85million Welshman’s signature two summers ago.
But that means United have taken a backward step back in the pursuit of Depay as they keep their powder dry for a battle with Chelsea to buy the former Spurs star.