Premiership Top Goalscorer – Henry 5/2, Rooney 14/1 – Click here to find out the latest odds.

Owen Hargreaves has conceded that he will not be joining Manchester United, after his club, Bayern refused to sanction a move.

The England midfielder was keen to leave Bayern for Old Trafford, but the German club stood firm.

Hargreaves’ agent Roman Grill said: “We have to accept there is no way Bayern will allow this transfer to happen.

“His only hope is that if United remain interested in him the deal could happen at a later date.”

United have been chasing Hargreaves and were thought to be willing to pay up to £20m to secure his services.

There had been a suggestion that the arrival at Bayern of Dutch midfielder Mark van Bommel could facilitate Hargreaves’ move to United, but the Bundesliga outfit remained resolute in their determination to retain the English midfielder.

But Bayern general manager Uli Hoeness said: “Owen stays – you can bet your house on that. Manchester United will have to plan without him.”

“We want to move forward with Mark and Owen. We would be crazy to sign Van Bommel as a replacement for Hargreaves.”

Van Bommel has signed a three-year deal, believed to be in the region of £8m, after undergoing a medical on Monday.

He is seen as a replacement for Germany captain Michael Ballack, who moved to Chelsea earlier in the summer.

Van Bommel had been quoted as saying: “I have left Barcelona because there were not enough guarantees that I would play every week.

“At Bayern the chances of playing are bigger, they told me, with Ballack gone and Owen Hargreaves close to leaving the club.”

Premiership Top Goalscorer – Henry 5/2, Rooney 14/1 – Click here to find out the latest odds.