European giants Juventus have reportedly slapped a £10 million price tag on Manchester United target Mario Mandzukic.
According to a report by The Sun, Manchester United now know the asking price for one of their January targets. Juventus have told the Premier League heavyweights to cough up £10 million to prise Mario Mandzukic away from the Allianz Stadium in the winter transfer window.
Mandzukic has seen his career with Juventus come to a grinding halt since the arrival of Maurizio Sarri at the helm at the Allianz Stadium. The new manager has completely frozen the Croat out of the scheme of things, meaning he is yet to even make an appearance for the Bianconeri this term.
The kicker has been his omission from the Champions League squad, and it is all but certain that Mandzukic will be leaving Juventus in the January transfer window. Chasing after the veteran striker are Manchester United, who are keen on making attacking reinforcements in the winter.
There had even been some late interest from Manchester United in Mandzukic towards the fag end of the summer transfer window, before a move failed to materialise. Heading into January, though, the Red Devils have reignited their interest in the beleaguered striker.
The need to bolster attack is urgent for Manchester United, even though their creative midfield options are a bit dry as well. As far as attack is concerned, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is strapped for quality options beyond Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashord and Daniel James.
Among the trio, only Martial has shown the aptitude to lead the line strongly for Manchester United, which is a bit of an issue. Having taken the decision to sell Romelu Lukaku and loan out Alexis Sanchez in the summer, Solskjaer does not really have a backup striker at his disposal, with Rashford struggling in the no. 9 role.
As a result, the interest in Mandzukic makes sense, with the Croat being a short-term solution for Manchester United, with him providing an added dimension to their attack with his aerial prowess. But, the Red Devils will need to negotiate an agreeable price with Juventus for the 33-year-old, with the Serie A champions demanding £10 million for the striker.
Manchester United, on the other hand, are only willing to pay around half of the quoted valuation, which creates a bit of an impasse. It now remains to be seen if they can reach an agreement with Juventus over a deal for the Croatian striker, with the January transfer window just a few weeks away.
