Borussia Dortmund have attempted to snooker Man Utd in their pursuit of Jadon Sancho by offering the winger a mega-money contract extension.
United continue to stall over meeting Dortmund's £108million asking price for the 21-year-old with just days remaining on the German club's deadline.
Dortmund were willing to listen to serious offers for their star man but only if they were submitted by August 10 - which is on Monday.
Bild now report if United do not submit an offer that meets Dortmund's demands by that date, the Bundesliga giants will tempt Sancho into staying with a huge wage increase worth £3.5m.
Sancho still has two years left to run on his current deal, and any offer from Dortmund would likely involve him adding at least another year to that.
He is the club's top earner on £190,000 per week, but this new offer would see his salary eclipse that.
The report from Bild says that Sancho's annual wage would increase from €6m (£5.4m) to €10m (£9m).
That would still pale in comparison to the money on the table from United, who are said to have provisionally agreed a salary of £350k per week if he completes a move to Old Trafford.
Whether that comes to fruition is now dependent on United though, as club chiefs continue to baulk over the price tag.
They feel £108m is too much in the current climate and believe Dortmund should lower their demands to a more realistic figure.
One theory is that United are playing hardball in a bid to drive Sancho's price down, but Dortmund are not prepared to budge.
Sancho remains the priority target for United but they have lined up potential alternatives should they fail in their approach, with Bayern Munich's Kingsley Coman the primary back-up option.
United remain hopeful of concluding a deal to bring Sancho back to England though.
The England international started his career at Watford before moving to Man City.
After failing to breakthrough into the City first team he turned down a new contract to chance his arm in Germany, and it has paid dividends.
Dortmund paid just £8m to land Sancho as a 17-year-old, meaning they are set for a handsome profit if they sell him on this summer, which is the best time for them to reap maximum returns on their investment.
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