Luke Shaw reportedly said that Ed Woodward treated Manchester United's players "like children" during talks about the European Super League.
The Red Devils were one of 12 founding members of the breakaway project, which was met with huge uproar when it was announced in April.
English clubs withdrew within a matter of days following protests from supporters and criticism from players, managers and wider society.
As a result, Man United chief executive Woodward issued an apology to the club's fans and announced that he would be stepping down from his role.
The Athletic has revealed that it was England international Shaw that led the objections from within the dressing room at Old Trafford, during a zoom call with Woodward and football director John Murtough.
The report states that Shaw "believed he and his team-mates had been treated like children or, worse, like assets rather than human beings".
It adds that Man United's players were concerned about the risk to their international careers, as it was reported that players involved in the European Super League would be banned from representing their countries.
Bruno Fernandes, the report states, would have pushed to leave Old Trafford if the plans had succeeded.
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