Manchester United made a loan offer for Borussia Dortmund wingback Nico Schulz hours before the transfer window shut, according to ESPN.

The German international cost Dortmund €25m (£23m) when they signed him from Hoffenheim in 2019 but the Red Devils were said to be interested in taking him on a temporary basis, having proposed a €1m loan fee.

United’s attempts to snap up Schulz reportedly bemused Dortmund’s officials who were expecting an approach for Jadon Sancho instead. It’s likely that the left-back was being looked at as a contingency plan if an agreement for Alex Telles could not be finalised, but the German fullback is hardly someone who would be able to compete for a first-team place at Old Trafford.

The 27-year-old has barely featured since moving to the Bundesliga club, having started just seven league games during his first season at Signal Iduna Park. He has been unable to displace Raphael Guerreiro in the starting eleven.