Manchester United fail with opening bid for Serie A defender

Manchester United are reported to have failed with an opening bid of around £65m to acquire the signature of Milan Skriniar from Inter Milan.

The 23-year-old only joined the Nerazzurri from Sampdoria last year but his performances since then have caught the eye of Europe's elite including Barcelona.

According to Gazzetta dello Sport, United have sought to jump ahead of their rivals for Skriniar with an initial offer worth £65m but their approach has been swiftly rebuffed by the Nerazzurri.

United have been desperate to pursue a new central defender since the summer and reports indicate that Inter are looking for a fee of at least £70m to consider the possibility of selling their prized asset.

Jose Mourinho's side are currently experiencing one of their worst starts to a Premier League season and they are already 12 points off the top of the table, though they have a game in hand versus Everton tomorrow.