Manchester United chiefs told manager Jose Mourinho they would not compromise over their defensive signing plans this summer.

The Irish Independent says Mourinho was told by United that the club would only sign a world-class defender of the calibre of Real Madrid's World Cup winner Raphael Varane rather than compromise with a lesser light, despite the manager's demands.

United would have paid up to £100m (€111m) for Varane but the Frenchman was never available and as the options were put to them over the course of a transfer window there were too many good reasons to ignore them.

It means they go into their first Premier League game of the season against Leicester City at Old Trafford tonight without signing the centre-back Mourinho (right) asked for during pre-season.

The club believe they have delivered over the course of the last two windows on the agreed targets with around £73m invested this window in Fred, Diogo Dalot and goalkeeper Lee Grant, as well £35m for Alexis Sanchez in January.