Arsenal Women are not prepared to give up on their quest to land Manchester United goalkeeper Mary Earps despite having a bid rejected, the Evening Standard reports.
Earps emerged on the Gunners’ radar following her spectacular displays for England at the Women’s World Cup tournament in Australia and New Zealand.
The 30-year-old was one of the stand-out performers for Sarina Wiegman’s side as the Lionesses reached the final but were ultimately tamed by a superior Spanish side.
Earps’ performance earned her recognition on the grand stage as she departed the competition with the Golden Glove award.
Following her performances on the biggest platform in women’s football, it is understandable that Man United are extremely reluctant to cut her loose this summer.
However, they need to find a way to resolve her contract situation amid interest from Arsenal, who find themselves in familiar territory with their Women’s Super League counterparts.
Man United are adamant that Earps is not for sale, having rejected a bid worth over £100,000 from the Gunners, which would have constituted a world record fee for a goalkeeper.
The Gunners are willing to play a waiting game and could sign Earps, who has entered the final 12 months of her contract with Man United, on a free transfer.
Arsenal did the same last season when Man United turned down world-record bids for striker Alessia Russo, only for her to join the Gunners on a free transfer the following summer.
A similar situation could be on the cards with Earps if a deal cannot be struck ahead of Thursday’s deadline, although Man United are determined to stop history from repeating itself.
Man United want to keep Earps and are reportedly pulling out all the stops to secure her services for the long term.
However, they are already scouring the market for potential alternatives in case their quest to agree fresh terms with the World Cup star falls through.
West Ham United’s Mackenzie Arnold, who kept four clean sheets for Australia at the World Cup, is on their radar along with OL Reign goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce.