In the end, Jose Mourinho didn’t manage to add a wide player to his Manchester United squad before the transfer window closed.
Having signed Victor Lindelöf, Romelu Lukaku and Nemanja Matic (and re-signed Zlatan Ibrahimovic), the United boss made little secret of his desire to bring in a winger over the summer – speaking openly about it towards the end of the club’s preseason tour of the United States.
The player Mourinho had targeted for the role is widely believed to have been Inter Milan’s Ivan Perisic, who was strongly linked with a move to Old Trafford throughout the summer. With the Italian club’s valuation of the Croatian international a good distance from what United were reportedly willing to play, the move failed to materialise.
In recent days, reports from Italy have suggested Perisic will ink a new contract extension to remain in Milan. As if this alone isn’t enough to confirm that United’s pursuit of the player is over, Gazzetto dello Sport‘s latest update states that the new deal will not include a release clause.
United’s failure to sign Perisic is likely to spell good news for Anthony Martial. The Frenchman impressed during his debut season at Old Trafford but struggled to string together a run of games for United during Mourinho’s first season at the club.
Although still not guaranteed a regular starting berth, Martial has scored twice for United after coming on from the bench already this season and was handed a start in the victory over Leicester City before the international break.
