It’s deja-vu all over again. Last summer, Jose Mourinho couldn’t convince Gareth Bale to come back to England, so he went after Inter Milan’s Ivan Perisic instead. Mourinho’s former club somehow managed to persuade the Croatian winger to stay in Italy. A year later, the same scenario has unfolded. Following the Champions League final, Gareth Bale was ready to discuss his future and looked set to leave Santiago Bernabeu. However, recent developments (Zidane and Ronaldo departures) have altered the circumstances in Madrid. New head coach Julen Lopetegui is eager to keep Bale, so the Welshman is reconsidering his future once more. According to the latest reports, he could be willing to give Los Blancos another chance.
That leaves United with Plan B, which is Ivan Perisic (again). The Croatian international was mightily impressive during the 2018 World Cup and an integral piece in Croatia’s run to the final. He is not the only one Jose Mourinho, who worked as a Russia Today analyst during the World Cup, was left impressed by. Eintracht Frankfurt’s Ante Rebic was one of the breakout stars of the tournament. He’s strong, powerful, relentless, cocky – all characteristics Mourinho appreciates. The two of them combined would cost €103 million, which is probably less than Bale would cost on his own.
Ivan Perisic to Manchester United
Ivan Perisic is valued at around €54 million. Inter resisted Manchester United’s attempts last year, but if Perisic decides to move, there’s little what the Italians can do. If he were to be signed, it would signal the end for Anthony Martial, who would either be loaned out or sold altogether.
Ante Rebic to Manchester United
The 24-year-old Ante Rebic was officially a Fiorentina player before making his Eintracht Frankfurt stay permanent at the of this season. This was despite the fact he didn’t dress for the Italian club since 2013. Even though his contract with Eintracht is brand new, they could sell for the right price, which at the moment seems to be around €49 million. The Premier League would be a big jump for Rebic and he might be reluctant to make the move, especially since he’d be relegated to a backup role on most game days.
Manchester United off-season moves
The Red Devils have had a relatively quiet transfer window so far, with Fred, Diogo Dalot and Lee Grant as the only new names in the squad. Jose Mourinho is either satisfied with the players he has, or the club needs to sell before buying. Daley Blind already left for Ajax for €21 million. Sergej Milinkovic-Savic is another player who has been closely linked with Manchester United.
