Sridhar Bhamidi
Manchester United are ready for a swap deal to land one of their prime targets – Inter Milan winger Ivan Perisic. The transfer window opened with a report linking the Croatian international to Old Trafford and the link continues to hog the headlines. As we move into the final stretch of the transfer season before the 2017-18 Premier League campaign kicks-off, Manchester United are ready to take the required steps to land him.
As reported by The Mirror, the Red Devils are even open to the idea of doing a swap deal. This was first reported in the Italian media which said that the Nerazzurri have finally given up on holding the player. New boss Luciano Spalletti has done his best and even had a one-on-one with Perisic to convince him to stay at the San Siro.
Now that all the options are exhausted, Inter are prepared to let the 28-year-old leave the club but only if the deal includes United’s French striker Anthony Martial.
That is a slightly irksome thought as Jose Mourinho and United view the 21-year-old Martial as a future star. It is true that Mourinho and Martial had a frosty relationship last year, with the manager expressing his frustration at the player being unable to grab his chances.
That should however not be a green light to sell him. Far from that because Mourinho still views him as a vital cog in his team. That explains why United are willing to explore the option of including Italian right-back Matteo Darmian or England centre-back Chris Smalling in the swap deal.
Darmian’s versatility appeals to Mourinho who has often used him as a left-back although he is primarily a right-back. However, Darmian’s camp is not entirely convinced if he is still in Mourinho’s plans and they are open for a move back to Italy. Spaletti too would be willing to get the player as an alternative to Real Madrid’s Danilo whom the club is chasing this summer.
Smalling who headed the list of criticised players last season may have played his last in a United shirt as his days seem numbered. There is interest from the Premier League too. Either way, it looks like Smalling will be out of the club.
And with Perisic having set his heart on securing a move, the coming days promise to be intensive for the Red Devils.
