Offer sheets are different from contracts and paperwork necessary to register and sign the player.
I think there's a lot of truth, as always, somewhere in the middle and the papers are trashing United because why not, it's generating reaction after reaction.
We're all told that until you and the other side sign on the dotted line, you're free to do whatever. And the timing of this happens to be after the role Matt Hargreaves, now chief negotiator at United from his many years at adidas.
Breaking up is never fun and easy, so why should this be any different? Certain people at United have been ruthless, a bit distasteful it seems like, but the truth is somewhere in the middle.