• Club had hoped to lure Bayern Munich midfielder in summer • Germany star likely to stay and sign new contract

Manchester United have accepted it will be difficult to buy Toni Kroos from Bayern Munich this summer, with one of David Moyes's prime targets expected to stay at the Bundesliga champions.

If Moyes cannot sign the midfielder it would be a major blow to the manager's plans as he seeks a major overhaul of his squad in the close season.

While United have not given up completely on Kroos and are prepared to keep all options open regarding the Germany international, there is a recognition that buying any elite class player is particularly tough due to the current market place. Even if Kroos were minded to leave Bayern, United would face stiff competition from a host of other top European clubs for his signature.

Kroos's contract with Bayern runs until 2015, so for as long as he has still not signed a new deal there is some hope the transfer could yet happen.

Moyes's team were knocked out of the Champions League by Bayern on Wednesday. As United are seven points off fourth place with only five games remaining, the chances of the club playing European Cup football next season are remote. This could prove a factor in any decision Kroos may take.

Kroos impressed during each leg of Bayern's 4-2 aggregate win over United in the quarter-final, as last year's winners seek to become the first side to retain the trophy in the Champions League era. Playing as a deep-lying midfielder, he was the chief orchestrator of attack for Pep Guardiola's team. It is precisely this role that Moyes wants to fill at United and Kroos, at 24, would be a player around whom the Scot could build his team for the foreseeable future.

Volker Struth, the player's agent, claimed earlier this week that Kroos will remain at Bayern. "We are confronted with a variety of rumours for months but at the moment I believe that Toni plays in Bavaria until 2015 at least," he told the German newspaper Bild.