Manchester United 's two-year pursuit of Erling Haaland has come to a disappointing conclusion with the Red Devils reluctantly ending their interest in the Borussia Dortmund force of nature.
Old Trafford chiefs are resigned to the Norwegian joining Real Madrid in a mega-money transfer this summer after Los Blancos leapt ahead in the race for Europe's hottest property.
Haaland was once regarded as the generational talent capable of spearheading the United attack for the next decade, and it is not hard to see why.
The 21-year-old has scored an astonishing 22 times in 19 appearances this season despite suffering with two muscle injuries, meaning he continues to average over a goal per game for Dortmund.
His clinical eye for finding the back of the net, prowess in the air and acrobatic ability make him the complete package, and he also has six assists to his name for the campaign.
It is without doubt a crushing blow for United to withdraw from the race for Haaland, but there are many reasons why their efforts have been rendered futile.
Here, Mirror Football charts Manchester United's unsuccessful pursuit of Erling Haaland.
Origins of interest
While Haaland's form since joining Dortmund has propelled him to superstar status, he first grabbed United's attention while bursting onto the scene for Red Bull Salzburg.
Then a teenager with the Austrian giants, Haaland scored 28 goals in 22 appearances during the first half of the 2019/20 campaign to put clubs across the continent on red alert.
Most-impressive were his eight goals in the Champions League group stage, which included a strike against Liverpool at Anfield.
It was no surprise to see Europe's heavyweights lining up to try and entice Haaland their way in the January window that season, and United appeared to have two advantages over their rivals.
The ace up their sleeve was the presence of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the dugout, as the United manager had a strong relationship with the player having handed him his debut at Molde in 2017.
Further, the Red Devils also have financial might unparalleled by the vast majority of teams, so they were able to put forward a mega-money offer of €60million (£50m) in an effort to outbid other suitors and incentivise Haaland, SPORT BILD reported at the time.
However, he chose to move to Dortmund on 29 December 2019 after they met his €20million (£17m) release clause, with the Leeds-born man suspecting the move to Westfalenstadion would be best for his development.
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The famous release clause
Haaland had no problem making the step from the Austrian Bundesliga to the German equivalent and plundered 16 goals in 18 games during the second half of the 2019/20 campaign.
He scored at an even better rate last season, netting 41 times in as many appearances, helping the Black and Yellow lift the DFB-Pokal.
Unfazed by their snub in the 2020 winter window, the Red Devils continued to monitor the situation closely and Solskjaer discussed his regular contact with Haaland on numerous occasions.
Around this time, reports began to surface regarding the details of the four-and-a-half-year contract he had signed with Dortmund, which includes a €75million (£63m) release clause.
But there was a catch, as BVB sporting director Michael Zorc, ever the shrewd operator in the transfer market, ensured this clause did not come into force until the summer of 2022.
This meant Dortmund were essentially guaranteed two-and-a-half years of Haaland in their attack, especially as clubs with depleted resources during the coronavirus pandemic were unlikely to meet their asking price of £150million in 2021.
United found themselves in this boat and instead opted to pursue a £73million transfer for Jadon Sancho, with the hope Haaland could follow his former teammate to the Premier League the following year.
Rangnick takes the reins
On the back of a second-place finish in the top-flight and reaching the Europa League final, United seemed poised to continue their progress under Solskjaer and make themselves an attractive prospect for the most in-demand players such as Haaland.
However, their season quickly unravelled as they suffered humiliating defeats by Liverpool, Manchester City and Watford before ultimately parting ways with their manager in November.
Ralf Rangnick was appointed as Solskjaer's replacement on an interim basis and his substantial connections with the Red Bull stable of clubs meant United's link with Haaland was not lost entirely.
In fact, ESPN claims the player and his representatives - including super-agent Mino Raiola - were not put off the prospect of joining United by Solskjaer's dismissal, and there were even reports Rangnick had made contact with his father, Alf-Inge, over a transfer.
What did prove fatal to United's chances of signing Haaland, however, was the chaos that has unfolded at Old Trafford over the last few months.
As well as on-pitch results being poor, there are widespread reports of disharmony in the dressing room which were perhaps on show as Cristiano Ronaldo fumed with Rangnick as he was substituted during Wednesday night's victory at Brentford.
Haaland is said to be an admirer of Rangnick but he has no interest in joining a club embroiled in a tumultuous transition for whom a top-four finish is by no means a guarantee.
United have accepted this bleak reality and they will focus their efforts on identifying Rangnick's permanent successor rather than a player who favours a transfer to Real Madrid.
The future of the United attack
Haaland's reluctance to join United leaves Rangnick - who will take on a consultancy role this summer - and football director John Murtough in a tricky situation.
Cristiano Ronaldo turns 37 in early February and Edinson Cavani, another veteran forward, is out of contract this summer.
Elsewhere, Anthony Martial is pushing for a January exit and Marcus Rashford's future is unclear, so United appear almost certain to pursue at least one new option in attack come the summer.
Nothing would be met with more excitement from fans than the signing of Haaland, but what once seemed a realistic option for the Red Devils is now a pipe dream.
