Manchester United seemed destined to make headlines by securing the signature of Jadon Sancho, but a move for the highly-rated attacker looks to be dead in the water following a protracted transfer saga.
Indeed, Borussia Dortmund are believed to be holding out for a fee of £108m for the former Manchester City starlet - an amount of money which United are reluctant to fork out in the current economic climate - and as a result Dortmund expect Sancho to don the black and yellow jersey again next season.
That is not to say that a swoop for Sancho is completely off the cards for the Red Devils, but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will have to start eyeing up alternatives to the 20-year-old if the two clubs cannot agree a fee for Sancho.
Despite the strong form of Mason Greenwood and Marcus Rashford since the restart, United have been linked with a host of well-known wingers throughout the past few months, and here, Sports Mole takes a look at five players that the Red Devils could attempt to sign if a deal for Sancho falls through.
Ousmane Dembele (Barcelona)
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Ousmane Dembele's time at Barcelona has been marred by injuries recently, and it is fair to say that the Frenchman is yet to live up to his €105m (£94.7m) price tag following his arrival in Catalonia three years ago.
The 2019-20 campaign saw Dembele restricted to just nine appearances across all competitions for Barcelona - including a mere five in La Liga - and there has been talk of the 23-year-old potentially seeking a move away from the Catalan giants this summer.
Reports have suggested that United have touched base with Barcelona over an initial season-long loan move for Dembele, which would include an obligation to buy, but Barca would still demand a hefty fee for the France international.
Despite his injury woes as of late, La Blaugrana are reportedly looking to recoup as much as €90m (£81.4m) for the former Dortmund man, which could potentially put off any interested parties in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
However, Dembele is undoubtedly full of potential and there is plenty of time for the attacker to overcome his injury woes and make a name for himself, whether that be at Camp Nou, Old Trafford or elsewhere.
Douglas Costa (Juventus)
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Douglas Costa turned out 29 times in all competitions for Juventus during the 2019-20 campaign - but the Brazilian's future in Turin has been called into question in recent weeks.
The winger only has 10 goals to show from his 101 appearances for Juventus since 2017, and as is the case with Dembele, Costa has also had his fair share of injury woes to contend with in the most recent season.
With the arrival of Juventus legend Andrea Pirlo in the dugout following Maurizio Sarri's sacking, there are reports of a potential overhaul at the club ahead of next season, and Costa could supposedly be one of the names axed by the new Juve manager.
Costa now has just under two years left to run on his current deal with the Serie A champions, and the 29-year-old would certainly command a much lower fee than Sancho having made just seven starts in the Italian top flight last term.
Federico Bernardeschi has often been preferred to Costa on the right-hand side of the Juventus attack, and the Brazilian could therefore represent an ideal cut-price signing for United as he searches for consistent game time.
Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid)
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Vinicius Junior has been tipped to become a future Galactico after initially agreeing to move to Real Madrid from Flamengo at the age of just 17 three years ago.
Likewise with his compatriot Costa, Vinicius took to the pitch plenty of times for Real Madrid in 2019-20, but the Brazilian started just 12 of his side's games in La Liga, with his other 17 league appearances coming as a substitute.
Vinicius has five goals and four assists to show for his efforts from the most recent season, but following his omission from Zinedine Zidane's starting lineup against Manchester City in the Champions League, rumours have started circulating regarding a potential exit from the Bernabeu for the attacker.
It has been claimed that United have shortlisted Vinicius as a possible alternative to Sancho, but Los Blancos would certainly not sanction a sale for the 20-year-old on the cheap.
With Vinicius under contract at the Bernabeu until 2025, and allegedly possessing a €700m (£633.2m) release clause in his current deal, it would take something spectacular to prise the South American away from the La Liga champions this summer.
Kingsley Coman (Bayern Munich)
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Bayern Munich have already added to their formidable attacking line through the acquisition of Leroy Sane from Manchester City, but there is uncertainty as to where that leaves Kingsley Coman in the pecking order at the Allianz Arena.
The 24-year-old enjoyed consistent game time in the Bundesliga upon the league's resumption, but Coman was forced to miss out Bayern's second-leg victory over Chelsea in the last 16 of the Champions League owing to muscular problems.
The France international is facing a race to be fit for the quarter-final clash with Barcelona, although Ivan Perisic found the back of the net against Chelsea and could be in line for another start on Friday.
Coman himself is thought to be open to a move to United, but Bayern reportedly intend to keep hold of the attacker for next season despite the arrival of Sane.
Having played for Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus early on in his career, Coman certainly knows what it takes to win trophies at the top level, and the Frenchman's experience could prove invaluable for a United side looking to bring the glory days back to Old Trafford.
Federico Chiesa (Fiorentina)
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Speculation surrounding the future of Fiorentina's Federico Chiesa has cooled in recent weeks, but the highly-rated attacker has allegedly caught the attention of several top sides following his performances last season.
The 22-year-old amassed 10 goals and nine assists in the 2019-20 Serie A campaign for La Viola, but Fiorentina could only muster a 10th-placed finish, leading to talk of Chiesa seeking a move elsewhere this summer.
The Italy international has dismissed reports that he is unhappy in Florence, but with Corriere Fiorentino suggesting that Man United could snap up Chiesa for a fee of £50m, the attacker would certainly represent a cheaper alternative to Sancho for the Red Devils.
Chiesa is primarily a right-winger but has also been deployed as a wing-back under Giuseppe Iachini at Fiorentina, and the Italian's potential, versatility and defensive contribution would give United fans every reason to be excited about his arrival should the two clubs ultimately agree a deal for the player.
Ben Knapton
