Manchester United chief Ed Woodward has been chasing a deal for Jadon Sancho of Borussia Dortmund for the entire summer transfer window.
But the clock ticking he has now had to line up three alternatives for the England winger, which is in excess of £100m.
The alternatives are to be brought in at short notice before the transfer window slams shut on October 5.
According to Daily Star Sport, the alternative list includes Juventus' Douglas Costa, Atletico Madrid ace Joao Felix and even Real Madrid outcast Gareth Bale.
Brazil international Costa, 29, joined Juventus on loan from Bayern Munich in 2018 before joining on a permanent deal.
Felix, 20, joined Atletico for £113m from Benfica last summer and although he failed to take La Liga by storm, he did manage nine goals and three assists across all competitions.
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Former Tottenham winger Bale admitted earlier this summer that he would be interested in a return to the Premier League having fallen out of favour under Zinedine Zidane in Madrid.
This article was most recently revised and updated 4 years ago
