Reports: Ed Woodward refused to pay extra £3m for World Cup finalist
What's the story?
The Metro reports that Manchester United executive vice-chairman, Ed Woodward refused to pay extra £3m for Croatian winger Ivan Perisic which saw the Red Devils eventually lose out on their transfer target.
It's believed that Perisic was desperate to move to Old Trafford but Inter Milan refused to sell him for anything less than £48m with United agreeing to pay up to £45m for the 29-year old in the dying stages of the transfer window.
In case you didn't know
Perisic first made his name while playing for Club Brugge in Belgium where he was named the Belgian Footballer of the Year 2011. He moved to Borussia Dortmund later on where he won the Bundesliga in 2011-12 campaign and then the DFB-Pokal in 2015 with Wolfsburg.
Inter Milan bought the Croatian in 2015 at a reported fee of €16 million. He has played a total of 128 games for the Italian outfit scoring 33 goals and providing 31 assists in the process. Perisic is regarded as one the best wingers in the world right now.
The heart of the matter
Jose Mourinho needed a winger to feed Romelu Lukaku up front. Despite the likes of Rashford and Martial already in the squad, the work ethic of those players has often come under scrutiny. Mourinho needed someone who will provide the threat in attack as well as track back defensively to thwart any opposition attack.
Perisic was the man who perfectly fitted into Jose Mourinho's philosophy. After the transfer failed, Manchester United signed Alexis Sanchez who is yet to shine in United colours. It's believed that Jose Mourinho is frustrated to have missed out on the Croatian and believes Ed Woodward could have paid that extra cash to bring him at Old Trafford.
Rumour Rating - 7/10
It's no mystery that Manchester United desperately needed a winger and Ivan Perisic was definitely on their radar. The Metro is a reliable source, and the current situation between the manager and the board could justify Ed Woodward's reluctance to pay the extra amount for the winger.
What's next
Manchester United signed Alexis Sanchez after missing out on the Croatian, but the Chilean is yet to hit the form he showed at Arsenal. Recently he scored the winner in a thrilling 3-2 win at home against Newcastle United, and Jose Mourinho would be hoping he could help United win some silverware in this season.