This summer was expected to be a very busy one for Manchester United as the Red Devils were hoping to witness a squad overhaul under the complete guidance of Jose Mourinho. But till now it hasn’t really turned out to be as thrilling as the fans had hoped for. United did manage to sign two of their preferred choices in Romelu Lukaku and Victor Lindelof but a significant portion of Mourinho’s wish list is yet to be fulfilled.
United have long been linked with a move for Ivan Perisic but Inter Milan’s strong stand on their prized asset has been delaying the much-anticipated transfer. Despite playing a sort of hide and seek for most of the time with the Italian club, United are still pretty much confident of striking a deal.
Inter have been pretty firm on their stand as they have refused to lower their demand of €50 m but United are not ready to invest that amount. However, as of now, the transfer is hanging in the balance but if he arrives at the Old Trafford what would he offer?
There has been a dearth of traditional wingers at United since the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo and the retirement of Ryan Giggs. Both these players had made the ball talk with their trickery and lung-bursting runs through the flanks but in the last couple of years, no player has been able to fill in their shoes.
Antonio Valencia has been one of the most powerful wingers in the European circuit right now but he has now turned into more of an attacking full back although crossing the ball into the penalty box has never been his strong point.
Attacking full backs have been the focal point of United’s attack throughout the years but the arrival of Lukaku could change the entire structure. Lukaku is going to be the main force for United and he combines very well with a winger who delivers delicious balls into the penalty box.
Perisic is a conventional winger who uses the width of the pitch to terrorise the defenders. He has the flair and the capability to put continuous crosses with sheer precision and a clinical striker like Lukaku would certainly prosper.
In the last season, United lacked that cutting edge and Perisic could certainly provide them with an extra layer of creativity. The Croatian international also brings his defensive attributes into the game as he is often seen helping out his backline.
Mourinho’s strategy is vastly based on a counter attacking formula and the arrival of Perisic would be a delight to watch.
