Fellaini's Bonus The Key To United Sealing Deadline Day Deal - Report

Marouane Fellaini forfeited £4m in order to seal a move to Manchester United on deadline day with the club having only paid the midfielder's original exit clause to seal the move, reports suggest.

As deadline day came to a close it was claimed that United had agreed a deal with Fellaini which was believed to be over the £23.5m release clause that David Moyes himself stipulated in the Belgium international's contract.

And the Telegraph is reporting that the only reason United paid a total fee of £27.5m for Fellaini - £4m more than his release clause - was because he agreed to put in a transfer request and forgo a payment of the difference in loyalty bonuses from the Toffees.

Fellaini's eventual move to United was fitting of the difficult transfer window that the club endured under David Moyes. Along with new chief executive Ed Woodward, the incoming manager failed to land any of his chosen targets this summer until the deal for his former Everton star came through.

Fellaini's release clause expired on July 31st, allowing Everton to make their own demands for the player as United continued to pursue him along with Leighton Baines.

But publications have claimed that Roberto Martinez and Dave Whelan were so angry about what they considered to be a 'derisory' bid for the pair - United offered £28m for the two players last month - that the club insisted on a maximum price before they would consider losing even one of their top stars.

While Fellaini expressed a desire to join United, the club or player are yet to publicly confirm that he agreed to forfeit £4m in order to make the move happen. The Telegraph claims that the deal would likely have fallen through if Fellaini hadn't agreed to forfeit the amount, adding further embarrassment to a failed transfer window for a United side who were hoping to sign more than just one senior player.

Fellaini insisted that he would be happy to continue to work with Moyes, telling reporters: "I am thrilled to sign for Manchester United. I have known the manager for many years now and I have a lot of respect for his way of working. When I was given the opportunity to work with him again, I jumped at the chance.

"I had a fantastic time at Everton and I'd like to thank all the fans and staff there for everything they have done for me, but being a Manchester United player is something that every player dreams of and I believe that I can make a real contribution to the team's efforts to win trophies in the future."