Spain midfielder has a contract with Bilbao that runs until June 2016.
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Manchester United target Ander Herrera will be staying with Athletic Bilbao when the winter transfer window reopens for business for the year in January, according to reports in the Daily Express.
The Premier League champions tried to buy the former Spain Under-23 international in the recent summer transfer window, only for the Red Devils to fail with a late bid on transfer deadline day.
However, it had been expected that new United head coach David Moyes would return to the Basque region in the new year with an improved offer for Herrera after the disappointing start to the new campaign that his side has made.
That was until Bilbao president Josu Urrutia confirmed that the Liga outfit would not be allowing any of their players to leave the San Mames come the turn of the year, and especially star man Herrera.
“I don’t know what other teams will do, but I consider the Herrera issue to be closed,” Urrutia said.
“Ander has a contract until 2016. All players have to focus on giving Athletic all you can give.”
The Spain midfield player has a reported buyout clause in his current contract with Bilbao that is valued at £30.5 million, a figure that Moyes was not prepared to meet during negotiations for the 24-year-old back in August, while Herrera has so far failed to score in any of his six Liga encounters for Bilbao so far this season.