Manchester United could struggle to fund deals for Jadon Sancho and Kai Havertz, according to Manchester Evening News reporter Samuel Luckhurst.
The Red Devils are preparing for a big summer in the transfer market as they look to close the gap on Premier League title contenders Manchester City and Liverpool.
As such, a number of high profile moves have been touted, including deals for Sancho and Havertz from Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen respectively.
But according to Luckhurst, United could struggle to fund such big-money deals as they stomach the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Writing for The Manchester Evening News, Luckhurst said: "The coronavirus crisis is likely to scupper high-end deals for a number of players across Europe, although Dortmund are prepared to sell Sancho for €130m.
"Industry insiders have doubted whether any club is prepared to part with nine figures and the United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward said in April it was 'unrealistic' for clubs to plot marquee moves.
"United would be open to negotiating achievable add-ons that amount to a nine-figure package for Sancho, 20, having bought Bruno Fernandes from Sporting Lisbon for an initial £46.56m, rising to £68m in January.
"Dortmund negotiated an overall fee of £135.5m for Ousmane Dembele from Barcelona in 2017 and received £96.8m up front.
"Bayer Leverkusen attacker Kai Havertz, 21, is enticed by a move to United but there is intense competition for the Germany international."
GIVEMESPORT'S Phil Spencer says...
While this might not be what Manchester United fans want to hear, it's important that supporters are realistic.
Funds are likely to be more limited than usual this summer, and that could be a problem in the transfer market.
All clubs around the world have been heavily impact by COVID-19 and that means that big-money deals could be few and far between.
For Manchester United it could also depend on whether they qualify for the Champions League, as without the funds of Europe's premier competition it could be tricky.