Christian Horner has denied Fernando Alonso's claim that Red Bull tried to sign him for next season before he announced his Formula One exit.
McLaren driver Alonso said he rejected an opportunity to replace Daniel Ricciardo, who is bound for Renault.
Red Bull team principal Horner on Friday stated that the two-time Formula One champion was not offered a seat before Pierre Gasly was confirmed as Max Verstappen's new team-mate.
"To be totally clear there was no offer to Fernando Alonso for next year," Horner said.
"We have offered Fernando a contract in the past, but that was back in 2007."
Read: Hamilton hails Indy-bound Alonso
Horner, who previously all but dismissed recruiting Alonso due to the "chaos" he might cause, revealed that F1 owners Liberty Media contacted Red Bull to see if the Spaniard might be an option.
He added: "We had an enquiry from Flavio Briatore [Alonso's manager] and Liberty, too, as to whether we would consider Fernando,
"From a promoter's point of view, Fernando Alonso is a great asset. If he could be in a competitive car, I am sure Liberty would rather he stays than pursue the Triple Crown, so I wouldn't expect them to do anything different.
"But the position of Red Bull is to invest in youth, and a talented driver pool through our junior programme."
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