Italian agent Giovanni de Vito has claimed that Atletico Madrid defender Sime Vrsaljko could be a perfect fit for Manchester United.
In an interview with Tribal Football, reputed Italian journalist Giovanni de Vito has claimed that he isn’t surprised by continued speculation linking Sime Vrsaljko with a move to Manchester United, before adding that the Croat will be a perfect fit at Old Trafford.
Vrsaljko’s career has been a constant upward trajectory since he joined Sassuolo from Genoa. A fruitful two-year spell at the Serie A club earned him a huge move to La Liga giants Atletico Madrid. The move to the Spanish capital has seen the player blossom into a fine right-back, displacing long-serving Juanfran to become the first-choice at Wanda Metropolitano.
This past season, Vrsaljko made 29 appearances across all competitions, playing a key role as Atletico Madrid won the Europa League. His progress has not gone unnoticed with Manchester United, Inter Milan and Napoli linked with him over a summer move.
The links with Manchester United have been the most prominent ones, with the Jose Mourinho eager to make a number of changes to his side’s defensive unit in the summer, having been left dissatisfied due to a number of issues at the back in the 2017-18 season.
The full-back slots are particularly problematic, with Antonio Valencia and Ashley Young in the twilight stages of their careers, and with not much in terms of backup, with Matteo Darmian, Daley Blind and Luke Shaw failing to impress the Manchester United manager.
While Mourinho has addressed part of the problem by signing Diogo Dalot, he could be set to spend more money in the coming weeks, with Vrsaljko an ideal target who can play across the backline. And, reputed Italian agent Giovanni de Vito, who has close ties to Croatian football has claimed that the 26-year-old would be a perfect fit for Manchester United.
“He can replace Darmian, he would be perfect for that position. There is a lack of a left and right back (at Manchester United), especially with his particular features. What matters is to find the right team for him.”
However, there are some contradictions between the links and Vrsaljko’s comments on his future, with the Croat rebuffing the Manchester United rumours and insisting that he is happy at Atletico Madrid.
“I’ve just extended my contract, won the Europe League, I am in Spain, so I’m happy. And in the fall when I had doubts, I made it clear that it was all fantastic in Madrid and Atletico, that the only problem was that I did not play, but today everything is in its place, and that’s all.”
Furthermore, with reports that Mourinho is ready to give Luke Shaw one more chance to prove himself, the Manchester United boss should have enough cover in the full-back slots for the upcoming season. It now remains to be seen if Mourinho is happy with his options, or if he makes a move for Vrsaljko this summer.
