Manchester United are on the brink of finalising the capture of Mario Mandzukic after a major breakthrough, while Crystal Palace lead the charge to sign a South American striker, according to Wednesday’s newspapers.
MANDZUKIC CLOSE TO AGREEING MANCHESTER UNITED DEAL
Manchester United have been handed a boost after it was claimed Mario Mandzukic was on the brink of agreeing a move to the club ahead of the January window.
The towering Croatian is poised to leave Juventus in the winter window after slipping way down Maurizio Sarri’s pecking order and has been heavily linked with a move to Old Trafford amid claims he is holding out for a call from United.
And according to The Sun he was on the brink of joining the club over the summer until his wage demands scuppered the deal and forced Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to go into the season with just Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and teenager Mason Greenwood to pick from up front.
However, the paper claims Mandzukic has now agreed to slash his £300,000-a-week wage demands in half, with United prepared to hand the 33-year-old an 18-month deal worth £150,000 a week.
And with his transfer fee set at around £10m, it seems a deal to bring Mandzukic to Old Trafford will be agreed prior to the January window and will go through as soon as possible, handing Solskjaer some much-needed additional firepower up front.
An Old Trafford source told the paper: “His reps have been in contact and are willing to change their demands.
“There will be other bonuses factored into the deal. It looks like one that could get done now.
“Ole has long been an admirer of him and he is someone we have wanted for a number of years.
“His experience could prove vital for the younger players in the squad. He is also a proven goalscorer.”
AND THE REST
Crystal Palace are lining up a £20m January move for fiery Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos and lead Aston Villa in the race for the Colombian (Daily Express)
Tottenham legend Glenn Hoddle claims there are four or five players in Mauricio Pochettino’s squad who know they are leaving the club by the start of next season (Daily Express)
Christian Eriksen’s dream Real Madrid move could be dashed by the form of Federico Valverde (The Sun)
Pep Guardiola slammed his seat in anger as he ripped into John Stones for not being ready to replace Rodri during the clash with Atalanta (The Sun)
Brendan Rodgers has branded the reaction to Hamza Choudhury’s tackle on Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah as “over the top” (The Sun)
Jaap Stam claims he was asked to take over at Newcastle three months before Rafa Benitez quit (The Sun)
Seven Premier League clubs scouted Hearts teenager Aaron Hickey on Sunday, with Manchester City thought to be favourites to sign him (The Sun)
Real Madrid have informed Brahim Diaz they want to sell him, less than a year after signing the forward from Manchester City in a move worth £22m (Daily Mail)
Real Madrid midfielder Isco, 27, has accepted that he will be one of those leaving the club in January (Daily Mail)
MLS expansion side Inter Miami, part-owned by David Beckham, have released images of their proposed 26,000-capacity stadium, featuring a rooftop bar lined with palm trees (Daily Mail)
A verdict in the bitter commercial dispute between Liverpool and their kit sponsor New Balance may be delivered on Friday, following the conclusion of a three-day trial (Daily Mail)
Doctors warned football authorities in 1966 that frequently heading the ball can cause brain injuries (Daily Mirror)
Steve Bruce has told striker Dwight Gayle he still has a role to play at Newcastle (Daily Mirror)
Leicester banked an £80m lump sum from Manchester United for Harry Maguire – and Brendan Rodgers is preparing to spend it (Daily Telegraph)
Peterborough United have been urged to “listen to the uncomfortable truth” after commissioning a review of child sex abuse allegations at the club (Daily Telegraph)
Concussion substitutes are increasingly likely to be introduced in football next season, following landmark new research which showed that former professional players are five times more likely to die from Alzheimer’s disease (Daily Telegraph)
Celtic ace Fraser Forster is hoping Euro glory against Lazio can lead to an England recall (Scottish Sun)
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