Manchester United endured an embarrassing transfer window. However, recent news reveals that the team made a failed bid for Galatasaray midfielder Wesley Sneijder.
According to ESPN, the team made an offer for the Dutch international two weeks before deadline but the deal was rejected by his current club.
"Sneijder received an indirect offer from Manchester United two weeks ago but it was not accepted," Galatasaray sporting co-coordinator Bulunt Tulun told Milliyet, according to ESPN. "There are several clubs that want him but just like we can't let go of [striker] Burak [Yilmaz] we also have to keep hold of Sneijder."
Sneijder was a major piece in Galatasaray's deep run to the Champions League quarterfinals in 2012-13. He arrived in January alongside Didier Drogba and helped the Turkish side past Schalke 04 in the round of 16 and to a 3-2 win over Real Madrid in the second leg of the quarterfinals.
Despite his solid play for Galatasaray last year, Sneijder is hardly the player that led Netherlands to the World Cup Final in 2010. The Dutchman has fallen out of favor with his national team coach and looks to be a long shot to join the team in Brazil next summer.
The fact that United could not get Sneijder only shows how tough the team's summer was. A bid for Thiago Alcantara was defeated by a better one from Bayern Munich. A lengthy transfer saga for Cesc Fabregas was met with rejection from the player himself and a late attempt to get Leighton Baines and Marouane Fellaini from Everton was met with public insult from the other Premier League club. The team eventually landed Fellaini but also failed in its attempt to lure Ander Herrera from Athletic Bilbao.