According to the latest reports from the Sun, Manchester United’s pursuit for Juventus’ striker Mario Mandzukic hangs in the balance as the Italian heavyweights will want £10m as the transfer fee for him. United are only looking to match half of that sum.
The Red Devils tried to sign Mandzukic even in the summer, but nothing had materialised. The Croatian striker is willing to take a pay cut to move to Manchester United, but the demands from Juventus could now prove to be a stumbling block.
Solskjær has looked short on options up front after he allowed the likes of Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez to leave the club in the summer. United never really went on to bring in their replacement, and after an injury to Martial earlier, they really struggled to score goals upfront.
It is understandable why the manager would want an experienced striker to come in as Marcus Rashford and Martial are still not complete strikers.
Will Mandzukic fit into Solskjær’s plans?
The Norwegian boss allowed a targetman like Lukaku to leave and he has clearly indicated that the likes of Rashford and Martial will be his two centre forwards. United look at their best when they play on the counter and Rashford, and Martial can stretch play with their well-timed runs.
The Red Devils will need a more mobile striker to play that kind of a game, and that is why someone like Lukaku was probably let go. Mandzukic is more of a traditional targetman though he has played in the wide regions as well. United boss might have to tweak his tactics a bit to fit someone like Mandzukic in his plans.
Should United pay £10m?
Mandzukic is already 33, and it wouldn’t make sense for the club to shell out that kind of transfer fee for him. United have been unfortunate with their transfer dealings in the past few years, and they have ended up overpaying for quite a few of their transfer targets. He is yet to feature in the Serie A this season, and he might need some time to get going if he is signed in January.
The Croatian is a proven goalscorer at the top level and has plenty of experience under his belt. But Solskjær has often maintained that giving youth chances will be his priority and signing a 33-year-old will undoubtedly show that he has admitted defeat in terms of his philosophy to achieve results.
