Manchester United transfer news: Mourinho snubbed by top target
Ivan Perisic is set to snub Manchester United
Jose Mourinho has been desperate to add Ivan Perisic to his Manchester United side all summer long. Unfortunately for The Special One, the talented winger seems to have other plans.
Reports from Italy claim that Perisic is set to extend his contract with Inter Milan. That move would effectively end the Premier League’s courtship of the Croatian attacker. At various points of the summer it’s been reported that Perisic’s arrival at Old Trafford was “imminent.” Now, all of those reports are set to be disproved.
Don’t expect Mourinho to accept this defeat quietly. The United boss will be furious at Ed Woodward for failing to get this deal over the line. In particular, Mourinho will chafe at the idea that his club was just a few million pounds away from securing a deal weeks ago.
Now Mourinho will be forced to look elsewhere for another attacker. Perisic was particularly appealing to United because of his defensive work rate. The club certainly have enough attacking talent to trouble the opposition. The biggest potential weakness in the squad is that it may be too unbalanced to defend against high-level opposition.
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Perisic would have given Mourinho an attacker who could really help restore the proper defensive balance to his starting XI. Such a player will be difficult to identify and secure before the summer transfer window slams shut.
The failure to land Perisic may hand a lifeline to Anthony Martial. Despite coming on and scoring a goal against West Ham his future at the club seems to be tenuous at best. If Mourinho isn’t able to bring in another wide man this summer, he may be required to give the young Frenchman some additional opportunities to make his way into the squad.
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Losing out on Ivan Perisic isn’t a disaster for Manchester United, but he would have been very helpful in their quest to reign atop the Premier League. Now Mourinho may be forced to carry forth with the attacking corps he already possesses. That is, until he can buy reinforcements in January.