Manchester United are set to give up on their pursuit of Cesc Fabregas if their second bid fails, the Mirror understands.
David Moyes has confirmed that the club have made an improved offer of £30m for the Barcelona midfielder, after seeing their initial bid of £26m rejected by the La Liga champions.
However, the new United boss has hinted that he may look elsewhere if there approach is rebuffed again.
Meanwhile, the Daily Star have reported that Real Madrid could be set to join the race to sign Tottenham Hotspur’s Gareth Bale.
Last week, Bale was reported to have told friends that he was keen on a move to Old Trafford, with the champions said to be lining up a £60m bid for the PFA, FWA and Barclays Premier League Player of the Year.
However, with the La Liga giants accumulating funds from the sale of a number of players, they could well trump any bid tabled by United.
Elsewhere, Shinji Kagawa, Ashley Young and Chris Smalling have all joined up with the first team squad on their pre-season tour.
Kagawa had been given an extended break following his participation in last month’s Confederations Cup, while Young and Smalling have recently recovered from their respective injuries.