Manchester United are close to agreeing a three year deal to sign Mario Mandžukić from Juventus.
According to The Daily Mail, the 33 year old Croatian striker has agreed personal terms with United and is set to move to Old Trafford for £6.2 million a year. That represents a 35% salary increase over the wages that he was on with Juventus.
The forward is being signed as a replacement for Romelu Lukaku who is expected to leave before Thursday’s deadline, and could be involved as part of a swap deal for the striker.
Mandžukić joined Juventus from Atlético Madrid in June 2019, and has scored 44 goals in 162 appearances for the club. However, he does not fit the style of new manager Maurizio Sarri, so the Italian champions are happy to let him go this summer.
However, one man who will not feature in any deal is Argentine striker Paolo Dybala. Negotiations to include him as part of an exchange for Lukaku Have been terminated because of Dybala’s excessive wage demands.
Andy is an exiled English football fan living in Cyprus. He loves all sports but football is his abiding passion, and he still has dreams every now and then about scoring the winning goal in a Wembley Cup Final, even though his playing days are long gone. He follows most major leagues, across Europe at least, and has a favoured team in each. When he’s not watching, listening, reading or downloading podcasts about football, he spend his time worrying about his beloved Arsenal.