Juventus striker Mario Mandzukic is reportedly on the radar of Everton and West Ham – though Galatasaray cannot be discounted yet.
For very different reasons, a new striker could be high on the list of priorities for both Everton and West Ham United in the summer.
The Toffees are facing up to life after Romelu Lukaku while The Hammers know all too well that an injury-stricken strikeforce of Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho simply cannot be relied upon across an entire campaign, The Sun reports.
Therefore, it will be little surprise if Mario Mandzukic is in demand this summer. The 30-year-old can boast some of Europe’s biggest clubs, from Bayern to Juventus via Atletico, on his CV and it is about time he brought his full-blooded antics to the Premier League.
The Sun claims that West Ham are interested in the 30-year-old while Everton were linked throughout last summer, as reported by Calciomercato.
Understandably, however, the Premier League duo will not be short of competition if they were to make their interest known this summer. After all, the manager of Turkish giants Galatasaray has wasted no time throwing his hat into the ring.
“Who wouldn’t want Mandzukic? He is a fantastic striker and a great team player,” Igor Tudor, a former Juventus defender, was quoted as saying by Fotospor. “Of course I’d like to see Mandzukic here, who wouldn’t want him in their team?”
Yet, the Croatian, a powerful, strapping targetman in the mould of Carroll or Lukaku, would appear a perfect addition for either Slaven Bilic or Ronald Koeman. Even a modest tally of five Serie A goals in 2016/17 should not make them think twice about a summer move.
Thanks to the summer arrival of Gonzalo Higuain, the selfless Mandzukic has been forced to play a more supporting role this season. He’s even been deployed on the left of midfield, with his physicality and tireless work rate making him an excellent outlet and an option if Juve want to go direct.
Although if Galatasaray make the first move, Everton and West Ham may have to act fast.
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