The winger is threatening to run down his contract before leaving for free.

The 25-year-old is angry at being offered to Russian giants Zenit St Petersburg.

Nani priced himself out of a move to the Russian side with a wage demand in excess of £200,000-a-week.

A source close to the player told the Sunday Mirror: "It wasn’t an ­accident that Nani was ­incommunicado. He told his agent to ask for silly money if Zenit wanted to talk. He expected them to turn him down flat, but they still wanted to talk.

"In the end, Nani turned off his phone and told ­people he was with at the time not to divulge his whereabouts if anyone called them.

"He doesn’t want to go. He’s happy to sit there and see out his deal if United make things this difficult."