Manchester United have given up on their pursuit of Inter Milan midfielder Wesley Sneijder.The Dutch international has been linked with a move to Old Trafford all summer as Sir Alex Ferguson looks to replace retired Paul Scholes at the heart of his midfield.
The 27-year-old previously claimed there was unofficial contact between himself and United while Inter have sent signals that they were willing to let their prized asset go for the right price.
A move to the English champions therefore looked imminent for the 27-year-old but it has now been declared 'dead' by United.
Senior United officials have reportedly told The Guardian newspaper that the club have grown tired of the prolonged transfer saga and have decided to pull the plug on their chase for the dynamic midfielder.
Sneijder's age - being on the wrong side of the Red Devils's age limit for new signings - and the hefty salary of around £200,000-a-week he is demanding, has proved too much for the club.
Ferguson has already splashed out around £50million on new signings like Ashley Young, Phil Jones and David de Gea - and unless Sneijder is willing to lower his wage demands, the curtains on United's summer spending spree could well be closed as their defence of the Premier League title begins this weekend at West Bromich Albion.
United have also been linked with Tottenham's Luka Modric and Arsenal's Samir Nasri but it seems any deal to sign either of the midfielders is unlikely, with Chelsea and Manchester City the more possible destinations for Modric and Nasri respectively.
Moreover, with the emergence of young midfielder Tom Cleverly at Old Trafford, Ferguson may feel he already has a replacement for Scholes.
