Manchester United had the chance to sign Dayot Upamecano for just £1.9m in 2015, according to the player’s agent.
The RB Leipzig centre-back was linked with a move to Old Trafford in this summer’s transfer market, when a release clause in his contract will make him available for around £38m.
However, Bayern Munich have won the race for the in-demand defender, who was also spoken of as a potential target for Chelsea and Liverpool.
Upamecano will finish the season with Leipzig before completing his move to the Allianz Arena on July 1.
It has emerged that United could have signed the centre-half for a cut-price fee six years ago.
The Frenchman joined Red Bull Salzburg - Leipzig’s sister club - from fellow Austrian outfit Liefering in 2016.
Before that Upamecano was part of Valenciennes’ academy, and it was at that stage of his development that United were linked with the defender.
And it turns out that the Red Devils could have bought Upamecano for less than £2m.
"An intermediary met with us, but there was a difference between the project she presented us and what was actually going to happen,” Upamecano's advisor, Thierry Martinez, told So Foot.
"A flat was promised, but that changed to a host family with only six return trips for his parents.
"When you uproot a player at such a young age, that isn’t enough. I wanted Dayot to have a stable emotional balance off the pitch."
Despite missing out on Upamecano, United are expected to be in the market for a new centre-back this summer.
Sergio Ramos is said to be on their radar, with the Spain international likely to be available as a free agent.
Tyrone Mings and Raphael Varane are also potential targets, but reports suggest Sevilla stopper Jules Kounde is the club’s leading target.
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