Van Gaal To Battle Arsenal + Chelsea For Unsettled £20m Striker

As we approach the opening of the summer window clubs will be intensifying their efforts in the transfer market so we’ll bring you all the latest news and gossip. Today, Man Utd join the chase for Mario Mandzukic.

New Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal has joined Arsenal and Chelsea in the hunt for Mario Mandzukic with the £20m-rated striker set to leave Bayern Munich after a bust-up with Pep Guardiola, according to reports.

Mandzukic played a key role in helping Bayern win the treble in his first season at the club following a move from Wolfsburg in 2012, but he found himself fall down the pecking order last year under new boss Guardiola, with many suggesting he didn’t fit into the Spaniard’s style of play.

The 27-year-old was widely tipped to leave the Allianz Arena this summer when Robert Lewandowski arrives and any chance of him staying to fight for his place appears to have evaporated following a dressing room bust-up with Guardiola following the clubs 4-0 loss to Real Madrid in the Champions League.

The Croatian international was subsequently left out of the entire squad for last weekend’s 2-0 German Cup final victory over Borussia Dortmund and it’s reported that Guardiola told him “goodbye, and good luck with your next club” after training the day before the final.

It looks like Mandzukic isn’t going to be short of offers with the Daily Mail claiming that Manchester United are now ready to battle Arsenal and Chelsea in trying to lure the striker to the Premier League.

New United boss Louis van Gaal is set to be handed a sizeable transfer kitty for this summer and is ready to rebuilt the squad following a disastrous campaign under David Moyes that saw the defending champions finish seventh in the table. A striker may not be the first priority that springs to mind but the Mail seem to think the Dutchman wants a new front-man to compete with Robin van Persie and Wayen Rooney, and has identified Mandzukic as the man for the job.

However, United will have to fend off serious competition from Arsenal and Chelsea with the pair understood to be leading the chase for the strikers signature, with both Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho expected to be bring in striking reinforcements this summer.

Despite his troubles at Bayern this season, Mandzukic still managed to score an impressive 26 goals in 48 appearances, so he certainly has pedigree at the very highest level. Reports suggest he is available for around £20m, which would be an excellent price for a player of his experience and quality in today’s market.

I would still be surprised if he ended up at Old Trafford as he’s highly unlikely to command a first team place ahead of RVP and Rooney, and Mandzukic is likely to want regular football at whichever club he decides to join.

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Chelsea could have identified the Croatian as an alternative to Diego Costa in case Mourinho fails to land his No.1 target, so that could leave Arsenal as the most likely destination of the three. The Gunners clearly need to add another striker to their squad this summer and Mandzukic could be the big-name signing fans have been looking for.