Amorim wanted to sign Lewandowski; Ratcliffe said no to the high-paid veteran

Sir Jim Ratcliffe blocks shock Manchester United transfer despite Ruben Amorim interest.

Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has put the block on a shock move to sign Robert Lewandowski. The Poland superstar is in the final year of his contract at Barcelona and has not been offered a new one.

Now the veteran ex-Bayern Munich hitman is expected to leave the Spanish giants on a free transfer next summer.

His departure would spark a mad scramble for his signature. United boss Ruben Amorim is a long-time admirer of the veteran striker. And he reckons luring Lewandowski to Old Trafford would have a positive impact on his side and help some of his other players develop.

But Ratcliffe had made it clear United will not repeat mistakes of the past, when it comes to indulging in signing players coming towards the end of their careers.

United have done this with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Raphael Varane, Edinson Cavani and Bastian Schweinsteiger. But all of them proved to be big mistakes, costing United tens of millions in the transfer market and almost as much again in wages.

Despite being 37, Lewandowski is earning a staggering £540,000-a-week at Barca. And the expectation is that, amid their much-publicised financial issues, which has seen the Blaugrana leveraged to the hilt, he will be allowed to depart for a new challenge next summer.

But Ratcliffe has been desperate to reduce United's own crippling wage bill - and does not consider signing Lewandowski to be a viable option.