Dante's initial quotes were adding fuel to the fire on a potential transfer from giants Bayern Munich, to Manchester United. In an interview with Fox Sports Brazil, Dante was quoted;
"What I can say is that my agents are the ones who handle deals and talks." said the Brazilian.
"I am happy at Bayern and the most important is to keep working, I am happy with Man Utd's interest, let's see what happens in the future. I follow the Premier League and although Man Utd are in a bad moment, I appreciate the interest."
Dante did not rule out a move however, as he finished his brief interview with; "We have to wait until 31 January, a lot can happen in the future."
However, it did not take long for the speculation to be quashed. Dante's agent Marcus Marin denied there was any deal in place with the reigning Premier League champions;
"There is no agreement with Manchester United, we are currently in negotiations with Bayern over a new deal and his first option is to play there. He is very happy in Germany at the moment but if nothing can be arranged in the next few weeks then of course he would have to explore his options elsewhere."
Marin was also quoted saying in the Independent that Dante's is hoping 'something can be arranged before the World Cup', before stressing;
"Dante is at a crucial stage of his career so he needs to think about one last big contract. He has had a brilliant year and won several medals so we know how important the next few months will be."
It seems likely that Dante and his agent are using Manchester United as a ploy to earn him a new, lucrative deal at Bayern. The possibility of Dante leaving Bayern cannot be ruled out entirely, if both sides cannot reach a compromise on their requirements for a new deal. However, for the foreseeable future, Dante will remain a player for Bayern Munich, and may even retire there.
Quotes via Fox Sports Brazil and The Independent.