Man United tipped to sign Mario Mandzukic- good option for Solskjaer?
According to the Mirror, Man United have been urged by their former player Owen Hargreaves to complete a move for Croatian striker Mario Mandzukic, who is currently a free agent in the market.
The 34-year-old recently terminated his contract with Qatari club Al-Duhail and Hargreaves feels that the Red Devils shouldn’t hesitate to offer the veteran striker a return to Europe. (h/t Mirror)
While the former midfielder believes signing Jadon Sancho, who is likely to cost in excess of £100million, will be United’s priority this summer, Hargreaves has suggested that signing Mandzukic on a free transfer would be a smart move.
The shape of United’s attack
United’s surge to a third-place finish in the 2019-20 Premier League season was largely spearheaded by the prolific form of their young forward trio of Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford, and Mason Greenwood.
The recruitment of Bruno Fernandes in January and the timely return of Paul Pogba from injury were other major contributing factors as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side made a return to the Champions League.
Martial (17), Rashford (17), and Greenwood (10) shared as an astonishing 44 league goals among them last season, with Solskjaer often rotating them in wide and central attacking roles.
However, the main concern for the Red Devils is that all the three aforementioned players are more efficient while operating from the wide areas and a potential deal for Sancho won’t really solve that problem, given that the England international also likes to play down the flanks.
Odion Ighalo has proven to be a welcome addition to United’s forward line, providing Solskjaer with a different set of attributes in and around the penalty area. But the Nigerian’s loan deal at Old Trafford expires after the January transfer window next year.
Why Mandzukic could be an excellent short-term fix
From the above discussion, it’s easy to figure out that United currently lack a focal point in their attack and Mandzukic’s towering 6ft 3in frame could certainly make a world of difference to the club’s dynamics in front of goal.
According to Whoscored, the 34-year-old averaged 2.9 aerial duels in his last season in Europe at Juventus, which is head and shoulders above Rashford (0.7), Martial (0.6) and Greenwood (0.2) in the Premier League last term.
Having an aerial threat and a target man like Mandzukic in the ranks would certainly offer Solskjaer with an extra dimension to unlock stubborn defences. The Croatian is somewhat past his prime at 34 but roping him in on a free transfer shouldn’t hurt United too much.
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Verdict
Mandzukic, who won the Champions League with Bayern back in 2013, subsequently excelled at big clubs like Atletico Madrid and Juventus before venturing outside Europe.
He’s someone who has scored goals wherever he has been and an overall career tally of 197 goals and 84 assists in 497 appearances lies testament to his status as a bonafide goalscorer in Europe.
A 2-time Bundesliga winner and a 4-time Serie A champion, Mandzukic’s experience could also have a positive impact on the mentality and development of youngsters like Rashford and Greenwood at Old Trafford.
All in all, Hargreaves’ suggestion certainly has a lot of substance in it and United paying heed to the advice of their former player could well pay off handsomely.
