Manchester United have agreed terms with experienced striker Mario Mandzukic, according to a report from the Daily Mail.
The Red Devils have moved to land the 33-year-old as they look to bolster their attacking options, with Mandzukic set to move to Old Trafford even despite the fact the Premier League giants are understood to have pulled out of a deal for teammate, Paulo Dybala.
Mandzukic is a seasoned veteran of the major European leagues following successful spells previously with the likes of Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid, and his strong forward play and ability to get in and amongst the goals has been proven throughout the years.
Indeed, last season saw the Croatian bag 9 Serie A goals for Juventus, while he also averaged 1.2 shots per game as well as 1.2 key passes over the same period (per WhoScored) while operating as either a central striker or a wide forward. In fact, according to Transfermarkt, the 33-year-old has played almost 70 career games as a wide forward, which could help in a fluid frontline also including the likes of Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial.
During his 476 career appearances for some of the biggest teams in Europe, the former Wolfsburg ace has bagged 188 goals as well as registering 92 assists.
Interestingly, he won the same amount of aerial duels per game (2.9) as Lukaku – the man he could be replacing – so the Red Devils wouldn’t be losing too much in terms of a physical threat up front should both transfers happen. That could be a positive when you consider the fact Lukaku himself impressed when deployed as a winger against Arsenal in the FA Cup back in January (something talked up by his manager) so having someone who can replicate his presence as well as boasting a huge amount of experience could be a boost.
Considering his experience and versatility, Mandzukic does look like he could slot into the United frontline nicely. Indeed, with the likes of Rashford, Martial, Jesse Lingard and Daniel James able to add pace going forward, the World Cup finalist has the tools to act as a natural foil, explained in the reasons above.
While he’s far from a long-term solution, the Red Devils’ frontline does lack a senior figure of such stature (Alexis Sanchez was labelled the worst transfer ever by Gary Neville) so any deal to bring him to the Theatre of Dreams looks to be a smart one.
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