Jose Mourinho has revealed Marouane Fellaini has been offered a pay rise to stay at Manchester United, while the manager also refused to blame the club for the contract stand-off.
The Belgium midfielder, who could leave for free this summer, has said United "made an error" by not negotiating a new deal sooner.
But Mourinho declined to point the finger and insisted it has been Fellaini's decision to run down his contract.
"He let his contract run until the end," Mourinho told a news conference on Thursday. "You cannot say that it was the club.
"If there were no offers, then we could say the club let it go until now. He had offers. And he had offers in a progressive way.
"Of course, the offer he has now on the table is a better offer than he had six months ago or eight months ago.
"It's a process and he is using the fact that he is in the end of his contract to let it go. Is it a decision good or bad, but it is his decision and we have to respect that."
Sources have told ESPN FC that Fellaini, a £27.5 million signing from Everton in 2013, turned down an offer in September.
His representatives are due in Manchester next week for more talks with sources saying the 30-year-old's preference is to stay at Old Trafford.
Mourinho said last week an agreement is "close" but with interest from China, Turkey, France and Italy, Fellaini is yet to make a firm decision on where he will play next season.
His decision is likely to impact Mourinho's transfer plans this summer. United are in the market for a central midfielder to replace Michael Carrick, who is set to retire at the end of the season, but sources said Mourinho is ready to sanction a second midfield arrival if Fellaini leaves.