Manchester United do not want to raise their €40 million -- currently around £28m -- bid for Sergio Ramos as they won't pay over the odds for the Real Madrid defender, sources have told ESPN FC.
Ramos was the subject of a first offer from United last week, which the club believes represents value for money for a 29-year-old with two years left on his current deal but was rejected.
Real Madrid have reportedly demanded £65m for Ramos -- which would break the British transfer record United paid them for Angel Di Maria (£59.7m) last summer -- and want to hold talks with the player over a new deal.
United are conscious that Thiago Silva, who became the most expensive defender in footballing history when Paris Saint-Germain paid €44.4m for him in 2012, was 27 when he moved, whereas Ramos is now 18 months older than the Brazilian was then.
The former Sevilla defender's contract expires in 2017 and talks about an extension have broken down.
But despite the fact that Real rejected United's first offer and while manager Louis van Gaal has around £150m to spend this summer, the English club do not want to be held to ransom.
Even at €40m, Ramos could, depending upon the fluctuating pound-euro exchange rate, become the costliest defender in United's history, replacing Rio Ferdinand, who cost £30m when he was signed as a 23-year-old from Leeds in 2002.
Assistant manager Ryan Giggs spoke at the weekend of how United are targeting "proven winners" to strengthen the spine of their side, and they turned to Ramos after Borussia Dortmund insisted that Mats Hummels is not leaving the Westfalenstadion this summer.
Ramos has won the World Cup and two European Championships with Spain plus the Champions League and three La Liga titles with Real.
Meanwhile, sources told ESPN FC last week that Southampton midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin is weighing up offers from two Premier League clubs -- one of whom is United -- but the Old Trafford outfit have not yet agreed a deal for him.
The France international and Bastian Schweinsteiger are Van Gaal's prime targets in the centre of the pitch, although it appears the latter is planning to stay at Bayern Munich.