Sridhar Bhamidi
Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho is not a happy man. He may say what he wants publicly but I feel he is frustrated at the delay in signing the two remaining players of his choice.
A midfielder and a winger are the remaining priorities of the gaffer this summer and that was even publicly declared by Mourinho. It was expected that the club would wrap up moves for both Nemanja Matic and Ivan Perisic by now.
The frustration though, stems from the fact that both the selling clubs – Chelsea and Inter Milan respectively – are holding out for premium prices, albeit for contrasting reasons. Chelsea, because they were beaten by United to the signing of Romelu Lukaku and Inter, because they want astronomical fees.
The deal for Perisic isn’t getting any closer; Inter are holding up for £48million while the Red Devils are willing to pay only £35million. With neither club willing to compromise, we may have hit a roadblock here.
That should explain why we are looking at contingency plans – if not earlier, at least now. According to Calciomercatoweb, United are ready to look at Emil Forsberg as an alternative to Perisic.
How much will that materialise is conjecture because Forsberg is vital for his current club RB Leipzig. The Swedish international has impressed for the Bundesliga club as they finished 2nd in the first year of their promotion.
The 25-year-old joined the club in 2015 and has made 79 appearances for the club, scoring 16 times so far. His performances from last season have earned him admirers from all over the continent.
It is believed that Leipzig value him at around £40million and that United will step up the chase for the classy winger. But, the chances of Forsberg joining United are next to nothing. Leipzig have already shown great resolve in holding on to their star players – case in point being Naby Keita.
It is admirable that the club is looking at alternatives for Perisic but Forsberg link looks a non-starter for now. As a fan, I would hope that we soon close out a deal for Perisic, than be continuously linked with every player who is looking to get a wage hike.
