Jose Mourinho has admitted that he is a big fan of "special" Real Madrid striker Alvaro Morata, but concedes that Manchester United are now unlikely to sign him.
The Spain international is widely considered to have been the Red Devils' top attacking target for the summer, only for talks to drag on as Los Blancos were demanding a far larger fee than United were willing to pay.
United instead turned their attention to Romelu Lukaku, who joined from Everton last week for an initial sum of £75m - reportedly £5m less than Madrid wanted for Morata.
Mourinho admits that it is a "shame" to have missed out on the ex-Juventus ace, accepting that any chance of getting a deal over the line is now all but dead.
"It is a question for Florentino [Perez]," Mourinho told reporters. "He belongs to Madrid. Madrid has decided and we have not come to an agreement. It is simple. It's a shame.
"It is a player who made it to the first team with me. We have a special liking for [him], he is someone special. I enjoyed watching his evolution in Juventus and Madrid. It is like that. I don't think he can end with us."
Mourinho also confirmed that United no longer hold any interest in re-signing forward Cristiano Ronaldo from Madrid, as luring him away from the Spanish capital is 'an impossible mission'.
Daniel Lewis
