Mario Mandzukic

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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer handed boost in pursuit of Mario Mandzukic as Juventus striker 'slashes £300k-a-week wage demands IN HALF to seal £10m move to Old Trafford'

* Mario Mandzukic has emerged as a January striker target for Manchester United
* The Croatian forward has been deemed surplus to requirement by Juventus
* He is not training with the first team after the club struck an agreement with him
* Reports say that Mandzukic has 'slashed his £300k-a-week wage demands'

Manchester United's pursuit of Mario Mandzukic looks to have been handed a major boost with the striker reportedly ready to lower his wage demands to seal a move away from Juventus.

The Sun report that Mandzukic is 'ready to half his £300,000-a-week wage demands in half' in a bid to push through a mid-season switch.

United have looked desperately short of striking options so far this season having failed to replace Alexis Sanchez, who joined Inter Milan on loan, and Romelu Lukaku, who joined the Italian giants on a permanent on deadline day.

The 33-year-old was on the cusp of moving to the Premier League in the summer when Juventus pushed for Lukaku.

But the Belgian joined rivals Inter and the deal to bring Mandzukic to Manchester collapsed.

Mandzukic is not involved in Juventus' first-team set-up under Maurizio Sarri and a January exit now appeals inevitable after it emerged a deal had been struck for the player to train away from the main group.


Mario Mandzukic is reportedly ready to reduce his wage demands to seal his Juventus exit. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has found himself short of strikers and wants to add faces in January

Solskjaer has had to rely on Marcus Rashford and 17-year-old Mason Greenwood for most of the campaign with Anthony Martial struggling with an injury he sustained in the defeat to Crystal Palace.

Rashford, who scored in the 1-1 draw with Liverpool at the weekend, has looked fatigued in spells but given the limited options, Solskjaer admitted recently he can ill-afford to rest the England international.

'At the moment we can't really give him a break because we've had injuries,' Solskjaer told Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville.

'Anthony [Martial] has been out for eight weeks now. So he's had to play loads more football than I'd hoped.

'Marcus is a centre forward who can play left, right and as a No 10. He wants to be able to play all the positions.'

It remains unclear how many additions the Norwegian manager wants to make in January given United's disastrous start to the 2019-20 season.

Mandzukic is believed to be available at around £10m and would represent a short-term option in attack given he turns 34 in May at the end of the current campaign.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-7602815/Mandzukic-slashes-300k-week-wage-demands-HALF-half-seal-10m-Man-United-move.html