Manchester United have reportedly set their sights on Juventus winger Dejan Kulusevski ahead of the summer, with Ole Gunnar Solksjaer an admirer of the Swede.
According to a report from Italian publication Calciomercato, Premier League giants Manchester United are considering the possibility of raiding Serie A champions Juventus in the summer transfer window for the signing of Dejan Kulusevski.
The 20-year-old joined the Atalanta youth setup in 2016 and rose through the ranks before making a name for himself while away on loan at Parma. His development in Italy alerted Juventus, who splashed the big bucks to secure his transfer. Indeed, the Bianconeri shelled out €35 million with another €9 million in performance-related bonuses in January last year, before letting him complete his loan spell at Parma.
Having arrived in Turin this past summer, Kulusevski has failed to live up to the expectations and has had a largely underwhelming debut campaign with Juventus. Indeed, till date, the 20-year-old has managed just three goals and an assist from 26 Serie A games, failing to make the desired impression. Despite that, though, his stock continues to soar high, with Manchester United interested in signing him.
The report adds that Manchester United’s interest in the 20-year-old largely stems from manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s admiration of him. The Norwegian tactician is understood to have tried to sign Kulusevski at the club in the past and is planning an attempt on the Swedish international again in the upcoming transfer window.
Manchester United’s search for a new right-sided winger is no secret. The 20-time English champions spent the entire last summer trying to sign Jadon Sancho but ended up failing in their pursuit. And even though there have been talks about the club rekindling their interest in the England international ahead of next term, it seems like unlike last year, United are not putting all their eggs in one basket.
Indeed, Manchester United continue to monitor Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele with the hope of signing him as he enters the final year of his contract. However, the Frenchman is likely to spurn the Red Devils’ advances to sign a new deal at Camp Nou. So, someone like Kulusevski could be considered as a Plan B for the English giants.
However, as per the report, Juventus are absolutely uninterested in negotiating any kind of exit for their Swedish starlet. The Bianconeri see Kulusevski as an important part of the team as they eye a summer rebuild and will not entertain any offers for him. So, Manchester United may well have to look at other options as they hope to bolster their attacking unit in the summer.
