Man Utd face three-way battle to sign striker ‘who can’t stop a ball’ to replace Zirkzee with cost revealed
Man Utd are one of three clubs who are looking to sign Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic as they look to give competition to Benjamin Sesko, according to reports.
The Red Devils spent over £200m on new signings in the summer transfer window with INEOS giving Ruben Amorim the cash to significantly improve their attack.
Sesko, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo all joined as Man Utd look to avoid being one of the worst attacking sides in the Premier League for a second season running.
Man Utd haven’t got off to a good start with only five sides scoring fewer goals than the Red Devils as Amorim’s side sit 14th in the early Premier League table.
Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport (via Football Italia) claims that Man Utd are joined by La Liga giants Barcelona and Atletico Madrid in the race to sign Juventus striker Vlahovic.
The report adds that the Red Devils are ‘constantly changing’ with new players and that INEOS are looking for a more consistent performer than Joshua Zirkzee, who was linked with a summer move to Serie A.
READ: Next Man Utd manager: Ranking Amorim’s replacements puts Southgate second
It has been previously reported that the Serbia international is looking for a contract with a €10m-a-year salary and a €10m signing bonus from interested parties.
Speaking in early August, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano revealed that Vlahovic had been offered to Man Utd, he said: “Manchester United, in the last three days, Saturday, Sunday, Monday morning, have been offered the possibility to sign Dusan Vlahovic again.
“Vlahovic is out of the Juventus project, Vlahovic is a player who can leave Juventus for a good proposal, and he’s been offered to Manchester United again. Something like, ‘Okay, if you can’t get a deal done for Sesko, Vlahovic is an opportunity’.
“He’s raised on the table, but Manchester United’s reply during all three days was, ‘We are focused on Sesko, we want to go for Sesko, we are still in for Sesko’. So United are waiting for that story as a priority.”
MORE MAN UTD COVERAGE ON F365…
👉 Amorim sack pay-off ‘eye-watering’ for Man Utd but Chelsea have paid six axed managers more
👉 Manchester United top scorers against Big Six: Fernandes draws level in joint-third
👉 Kobbie Mainoo is crushing Ruben Amorim in fight for Manchester United future
Romano added: “Then, if Sesko will decide to go to Newcastle… I told you several times, in that case, maybe United will consider different options for the new striker. But at the moment, [no] was the answer to Vlahovic.”
Former Napoli and Udinese manager Giovanni Galeone has been one of Vlahovic’s critics in recent seasons with the Italian football boss claiming the Juventus striker “can’t stop a ball”.
Galeone said in March: “I’ll just say this: from a million net per month to Vlahovic, perhaps the only Slav player – and I know what I’m talking about, I’ve loved them for 80 years – who can’t stop a ball: he just can’t. Who knows, now we’ll see with the arrival of Tudor.”
READ NEXT: Man Utd ‘furious’ at latest ‘totally destructive’ leak as ‘unhappy’ Fernandes opinion is revealed
