MANCHESTER UNITED chiefs will ban Ole Gunnar Solskjaer from signing Mario Mandzukic unless the Juventus striker lowers his wage demands.
The Old Trafford board have admitted Solskjaer has been left short in attack after losing Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez to Inter Milan this summer.
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United have been left with a young and fairly inexperienced striking crop of Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Mason Greenwood.
Rashford and Martial, too, are more and more being seen as wingers rather than out-and-out No9s.
But United chiefs have claimed they will not overpay this winter – especially not on a 33-year-old like Mandzukic.
The ex-Atletico Madrid forward currently earns around £200,000-a-week at Juventus – the club’s sixth-highest earner, despite being frozen out under Maurizio Sarri.
Earlier this week it was claimed Man Utd had agreed to sign Mandzukic for £10million in January.
Solskjaer is keen to rebuild his squad using young, homegrown players such as Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Daniel James.
But with his Man Utd enduring the club’s worst start to a season in 30 years, he is aware a proven goalscorer is a must.
United are already 15 points adrift of Premier League leaders Liverpool, sitting 12th in the league, with Mandzukic itching for a new club.
Now in the twilight of his career, the Croatian still wants first-team football – but has failed to play a single game for club or country this season.
Despite his lack of game-time this season, Mandzukic could well be the perfect player for Man Utd.
The former Bayern Munich star is a warrior, not motivated by personal glory – and could easily cope with the pressure of playing at Old Trafford.
