Manchester United’s attempts to sign Ivan Perisic appear to have hit the buffers for now.
At one stage earlier in the summer, a deal to bring the Croatian winger to Old Trafford had seemed imminent. However, United and Inter Milan have failed to agree on a fee, prompting fresh reports on Thursday that Jose Mourinho is no longer expecting to make a fourth summer signing.
This, of course, is not to say that United are completely absent from the latest gossip columns. Far from it.
Arsenal’s Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who has been linked with moves to Chelsea and Liverpool already this summer, is now reportedly attracting interest from Mourinho.
With the Perisic deal seemingly dead, The Sun claim United are monitoring the situation with the 24-year-old England international, suggesting they could now turn their attentions to signing him before the transfer window closes on August 31.
Oxlade-Chamberlain is in the final year of his contract at The Emirates but was a starter for Arsenal’s thrilling Premier League opener against Leicester last Friday evening.
Speaking on Wednesday, Arsene Wenger explained that he believed the player – along with teammates Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Özil – would remain at the club, although he did suggest the final decision on whether to accept a bid lay with the board, not him.
“I think all the three will stay. I will fight for them to stay,” he said.
“After the board has to, of course, agree with me,” Wenger added. “And if they don’t agree we have to consider it as well and I will accept it. But the board is behind me on that.”
