Israeli giant Maccabi Tel Aviv has lodged an improved $800,000 bid for United States defender Steven Birnbaum, but D.C. United is refusing to sell the center-back, sources told ESPN FC.
Club sources said on Friday that D.C. United is not currently entertaining offers for the 25-year-old and is "comfortable" letting Birnbaum play out the rest of his contract, which runs until January 2018.
D.C. United would still hold Birnbaum's MLS rights at that stage if the contract expires.
One source close to Birnbaum, however, says the national team defender would want the move to Maccabi if he isn't offered a new deal with D.