Atletico Madrid have reportedly been left shocked by Manchester United's sudden demand of £49.8m for Mason Greenwood, who is currently on loan at Getafe.
The 22-year-old attacker was left out of United's lineup since facing charges of attempted rape, controlling and coercive behaviour, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm in 2022.
The case was later dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service in February 2023, after which the player was sent on loan to the La Liga outfit.
Since departing Old Trafford, the forward has been a key player for Jose Bordalas' side, contributing significantly with eight goals and five assists across all competitions during his debut season in Spain.
Greenwood's future at United remains uncertain, although his performances in La Liga have seen him linked with potential moves to several clubs across Europe in the summer, including Atletico Madrid.
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However, according to a report from Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, Diego Simeone's side have been left appalled by Man United's "outrageous" asking price for the England international.
The report claims that the Red Devils were previously asking for a fee of around £34m for Greenwood, but have now upped their asking price to a shade under £50m.
Should the 22-year-old be sold for the new asking price, he would become the fourth-most expensive departure in Man United's history.
If it is determined that Greenwood has no future at Old Trafford, the Premier League side are expected to sell him this summer rather than extend his loan, particularly since his contract is due to expire in 2024.
Still, nothing has been written in stone regarding the talented forward's future, as United's new part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has already confirmed that the possibility of a return to the Red Devils for Greenwood has not been ruled out.
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"It's a fresh decision," Ratcliffe said in an interview last month.
"I can talk about the principle. I am not going to talk about Mason. I am familiar with it. The principle is the important one. We will have other issues going forwards.
"You are dealing with young people who have not always been brought up in the best circumstances, who have a lot of money and they don't always have the guidance they should have.
"What we need to do when have issues like that is understand real affects not the hype then we need to make a fair decision in the light of the club's values. That's what we need to do and that's how we will deal with it."
While Atletico have emerged as the frontrunners to sign the Englishman, there has also been reported interest from the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus.
However, it is likely that if United are to stand by their new asking price, Barca and Juve would find it difficult to sign Greenwood given their ongoing issues with FFP regulations.
Devesh Jaganath
