Rumoured Manchester United target Mario Manduzkic is the subject of interest from West Ham, who are eyeing a January swoop for the Juventus star.
As per Sky Sports, the Red Devils tried to sign the Croatian before the English transfer window slammed shut at the start of August, but a final deal never materialised.
United targeted Mandzukic as a possible replacement for Romelu Lukaku, who left Old Trafford to join Inter Milan, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer ultimately left with limited options upfront for the 2019-20 season.
According to the Mirror, the 33-year-old has now been touted for a surprise move to another Premier League club, with West Ham plotting a winter approach.
The Hammers are short on attacking options after letting Marko Arnautovic, Lucas Perez and Andy Carroll leave over the summer, which has left Manuel Pellegrini with only Sebastien Haller and Albian Ajeti to call upon as natural centre-forwards.
Mandzukic seems destined to leave Juventus sooner rather than later, having been left out of Maurizio Sarri’s squad for their upcoming Champions League campaign.
The Croatia international has yet to feature for the Bianconeri at the start of the new season, with the likes of Gonzalo Higuain and Cristiano Ronaldo firmly ahead of him in the squad pecking order.
Should West Ham manage to secure his services in the new year, United fans might be left even more frustrated after missing out on yet another high-quality signing.
The Red Devils were linked with a number of top players across Europe over the summer, but only managed to bring in defensive duo Harry Maguire and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, along with Welsh winger Daniel James.
Even as he approaches the twilight years of his career, Mandzukic remains a world-class striker capable of producing the goods at the very highest level, which means West Ham will be significantly strengthening their squad if they can push a deal over the line.
