Manchester United are reportedly hopeful of striking a £9 million deal to sign Croatian striker Mario Mandzukic in the January transfer window.
According to a report by Goal, Manchester United are confident of snapping up Mario Mandzukic in the January transfer window. The Premier League heavyweights are set to table a £9 million bid for the Croatian striker and believe the offer will be good enough to be accepted by Juventus.
Mandzukic no longer features in Juventus’s first-team plans, with Maurizio Sarri deeming him to be surplus to requirements soon after being appointed. In fact, the veteran striker was even heavily linked with a move away from the Allianz Stadium for much of the summer transfer window.
Manchester United were one of the clubs that were interested in signing Mandzukic this past summer before a move failed to materialise. But, the English giants are back in the hunt for the 33-year-old ahead of the January transfer window, and for good reason.
Manchester United are currently languishing at 12th on the Premier League table, failing to win back-to-back games at any juncture of their campaign so far. In fact, so dismal is their situation, that the Red Devils have not managed to score more than once in a game across competitions since their season-opening fixture against Chelsea.
As a result, bolstering attack has understandably emerged as a priority for the struggling Premier League heavyweights, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer suggesting that they will be in the market for a striker in January. To that end, they have rekindled their interest in Mandzukic.
As iterated earlier, Mandzukic is surplus to requirements at Juventus, who have also omitted him from their UEFA Champions League squad. Having not played even once this season, swooping the veteran striker could be rather straightforward, especially with the Bianconeri reportedly making him available for a January transfer.
A £9 million bid is in the works, and Manchester United believe the offer will be enough to reach an agreement with Juventus. United are also confident that Mandzukic will agree terms with them for a January move, signing an 18-month contract worth £4.4 million per year.
For now, what is clear is that Manchester United need to address their goalscoring woes, something Mandzukic can address whilst also adding a new dimension to their attack. It now remains to be seen if a £9 million January move for the much-needed striker sees the light of the day.
