This is a turn up for the books.
Manchester United were always going to be busy this summer after a fairly lacklustre and underwhelming 2017/18 season. The transfer window has opened early and the Northern giant has been linked with all sorts of potential big name signings.
Most of the focus has been on defenders and midfielders, partly because these are clear areas of weakness for a club that can’t boast a settled combination in either area of the team. But also Jose Mourinho stated new forwards were not on his agenda.
But now respected Italian journalist and transfer window aficionado Gianluca Di Marzio is claiming that new burly centre-forwards are being seriously considered by the Portuguese as summer recruits.
#Calciomercato | #ManchesterUnited, preso #Fred dallo #Shakhtar. Piace #Mandzukic https://t.co/sctN6SV36w
— Gianluca Di Marzio (@DiMarzio) May 24, 2018
Di Marzio claims that a deal to bring midfielder Fred to Old Trafford for around £44m is close to completion, and that’s no real surprise. The Shakhtar schemer has been linked to the club for some time now.
But the more surprising revelation is that the Red Devils are looking at one of either Juve’s Mario Mandzukic or West Ham’s Marko Arnautovic to bolster their forward line. Both are very much traditional target men, and one would assume they’d be backup for Romelu Lukaku.
Either would surely come as a blow to both Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford, who have failed to convince Mourinho as central focal points to the attack.
Last RT from @DiMarzio suggests Manchester United have agreed a deal with Shakhtar for Fred at £44 million and the club also retain an interest in one of Mario Mandzukic and Marko Arnautovic
— Chris Winterburn (@cmwinterburn) May 24, 2018
https://twitter.com/PeoplesPerson_/status/999608789820207104
An Arnautovic / Mandzukic type is exactly the type of player United DO NOT need. We need quick, dynamic players that are agile, not tall attackers to give in to Jose’s Fellaini love-in.
— Hesham Bilal-Hafiz (@hesham786) May 24, 2018
