Man Utd could reportedly wrap up a deal to sign Juventus forward Mario Mandzukic by Monday, in a deal that would potentially cost them between €10m-€15m.
The Red Devils have signed just Daniel James and Aaron Wan-Bissaka so far this summer, and for a side that finished outside of the top six in the Premier League last season, more will surely be needed to ensure that they can compete this time round.
Looking back at last season, the defence was the biggest issue for United as they conceded 54 goals in 38 Premier League games, giving them the worst defensive record of the top nine sides in the standings.
However, it appears as though Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is keen to add experience and more of a physical presence up front with Tuttosport noting that they could reach an agreement for Mandzukic by Monday.
It’s suggested that the Turin giants want around €10m-€15m for their attacking talisman, while the Croatian international has approved of the move himself.
It’s not just Tuttosport suggesting that Mandzukic is also being discussed by United, as Goal Italy’s Romeo Agresti also reported on Thursday night that the two clubs are in talks over the 33-year-old, as per his tweet below.
Mandzukic hasn’t been the most prolific player, notching 212 goals in 538 appearances across his professional career.
However, that is still a very impressive record and coupled with his physical presence, hold up play and creativity, he can be a top option as a lone frontman still or perhaps out wide having shown his versatility over the years too.
With Romelu Lukaku potentially moving to Turin in a swap deal for Paulo Dybala, as noted in Agresti’s tweet below, that will leave a void up front for Man Utd. Perhaps Mandzukic is being eyed as a solution to that problem and that in turn could set up a new partnership with Dybala in Manchester instead.
In addition to the potential Dybala-Lukaku swap deal, #Juventus and #ManUtd also discussed Mario #Mandzukic today ??? @goal
— Romeo Agresti (@romeoagresti) August 1, 2019