COMMENT
Juan Mata, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard - £124 million worth of talent and two home-grown stars.
Manchester United are already well-stocked in the creativity department, with it possible to throw £89 million record signing Paul Pogba into the mix as well – as a central midfielder expected to pull the strings and bridge the gap between defence and attack.
The Red Devils are, however, a club always looking to further themselves.
Inter confirm Utd interest in Perisic
Those at their disposal may have helped to secure three trophies in 2016-17, but they could only muster a sixth-place finish in the Premier League, and that is not good enough for a club of their stature.
They know that. Jose Mourinho knows that. Everybody knows that.
How, though, do you set about forcing your way back into the title picture?
Well, you spend even more money, of course.
Mourinho had already ruffled his hair and gone cap in hand to Ed Woodward before the final ball had been kicked in the season just gone, with the Portuguese admitting after a Europa League triumph over Ajax that a list of transfer targets had been passed on.
“Please sir, can I have some more?”
One deal has already been put in place, with Sweden international defender Victor Lindelof set to reinforce a defensive unit which, while faring admirably in Mourinho’s first season at the helm, is yet to truly convince and has too many members made of glass that are always liable to take in enforced spells on the treatment table.
Arsenal, Chelsea & Man Utd want Perisic
At the other end of the field, name a leading striker in one of Europe’s top divisions and United will have been linked with an approach at some stage – Belotti, Griezmann, Morata, Lukaku, Mbappe, the list goes on and on.
It is, however, in the aforementioned playmaking department that the Red Devils could make another sizeable splash in the summer transfer pool.
Too many missed opportunities in 2016-17 cost United a shot at the top four, never mind the top-flight crown, with Mourinho’s men uncharacteristically wasteful in front of goal and all too often frustrated by stubborn opponents prepared to bolt the back door.
Playing Surface
United have the players capable of picking such locks, but Martial and the much-maligned Wayne Rooney were the only players to reach double figures last season when combining their goal and assist tallies – and both only just scraped into that bracket with 10.
Mata managed a tally of nine in the Premier League, Rashford six, Mkhitaryan five and Lingard three.
Those respective returns were clearly not enough and attention has now drifted elsewhere, which may spell the end for at least one of those mentioned above – Rooney appears to be edging towards the exits and Mata’s position has been called into question ever since Mourinho took the reins.
Mourinho in Zagreb amid Perisic talk
United are looking to further reinforce their ranks, and Inter winger Ivan Perisic is a player they are said to have their eye on.
It is easy to see why their gaze may have shifted towards the San Siro, with the Croatia international showing over recent years that he is capable of offering the kind of dual threat which could spark the Red Devils back into life.
If United are to spend big on a high-profile frontman, then they will need somebody to provide the ammunition for said recruit.
They will also be demanding a healthier return of goals from those occupying wide or deep-lying roles, with it important that the load is shared and a repeat of the over-reliance on Zlatan Ibrahimovic is avoided.
Playing Surface
Perisic could be the answer.
Last season, as United’s current crop struggled to reach 10 goals and assists combined, Inter’s highly-rated wideman found the target 11 times by himself while laying on another eight efforts for grateful team-mates – he also created considerably more chances (63), put in more crosses (203) and highlighted his work rate by making more recoveries (136)
He did take in more minutes than those at Old Trafford, but that should be considered another positive as Perisic has missed just six Serie A games during his two years with the Nerazzurri.
Man Utd target Matic as Juve out of race
Across that period, the 28-year-old has managed more goals and crosses than his potential new team-mates at United, while only Mkhitaryan has managed more goals (16 to 14) and created more chances (112 to 95) – with much of that success coming during a productive final season at Borussia Dortmund.
If United are prepared to push hard enough then the transfer door may well swing open, with new Inter boss Luciano Spalletti revealing that he will not block any want-away stars from leaving.
He said: “We shouldn’t convince anyone to stay at Inter. If someone is not convinced, he is good to go and play where he feels more motivated.”
In Perisic’s case, that could be in England, with talk of £100,000-a-week contracts and £50 million transfer fees already doing the rounds as the official opening of the summer window on July 1 edges ever closer.
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