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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…
According to The Evening Standard, Manchester United are “increasingly unlikely” to sign Juventus’ Mario Mandzukic following the Italian side’s valuation of the forward.
What’s the word?
Reports earlier on deadline day had suggested the Red Devils had reopened talks with the Bianconeri over a move to sign the Croatian this summer. However, The Evening Standard now claim United look set to miss out on the veteran striker after Juventus demanded a fee in the region of £14m to let him go.
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The report adds that whilst negotiations between the two sides haven’t collapsed completely, a move at this stage of the window is dwindling.
Verdict
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side have largely focused their transfer business this summer around signing younger players, who still have the peak years of their careers to come. The likes of Daniel James, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Harry Maguire all fit that profile, but a 33-year-old Mandzukic certainly doesn’t.
Indeed, whilst the Croatian would undoubtedly add a sprinkling of experience to a youthful-looking United squad, it would impact the kind of game-time the likes of Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and even Mason Greenwood would enjoy.
The Red Devils are in a rebuild mode, and their pre-season was dominated by the excitement caused by the introduction of several academy stars. Signing what would essentially have been a ‘stop-gap solution’ in Mandzukic would simply have halted the progress and opportunities of some of United’s most talented prospects.
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