Deal was agreed for €15m-rated Man Utd target but key hitch stopped move

Posted by

Man Utd reportedly had a deal in place with Juventus for Mario Mandzukic on deadline day, but a switch fell through due to the last-minute nature of the move.

The Red Devils saw Romelu Lukaku join Inter on Thursday, with BBC Sport reporting that the 26-year-old left Old Trafford in a £74m deal.

SEE MORE: ‘Could have got an absolute bargain’ – Ex-Man Utd ace says Solskjaer should have signed £25m star

That in turn leaves a void behind for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the sense that he has lost a key dynamic in attack with Lukaku’s physical presence and threat in the box.

Naturally, he will turn to the likes of Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial to soften the blow of the exit, but the fact that Man Utd didn’t make a signing of their own will lead to question marks as to whether or not they have enough in attack to compete across multiple fronts.

As noted by Tuttosport, Mandzukic was linked with a move to Manchester with Juventus said to rate their Croatian stalwart at around €15m.

Given his experience at the highest level, versatility and quality even in the latter stages of his career, the 33-year-old could have been a useful option in attack to offer a similar dynamic to Lukaku.

However, according to Calciomercato, it’s claimed that despite Juve sporting director Fabio Paratici sealing an agreement with Man Utd for the sale of the veteran, it ultimately fell through as given it was so last-minute and rushed ahead of the deadline, Mandzukic wasn’t keen on making the switch.

In many ways, it’s understandable as to why he would have felt that way as ultimately it’s a big decision, potentially the last big move of his career, and he would have wanted time to consider all possible outcomes of that decision.

In turn, while it didn’t materialise this week, perhaps United will try again in January when the window re-opens, although given the deadline hasn’t yet passed around Europe, they could now risk seeing Mandzukic move elsewhere in the coming weeks.

More Stories Mario Mandzukic