According to Gianluca Di Marzio, Aston Villa have seen an attempt to sign Croatian striker Mario Mandzukic fail to come to fruition.
What’s the word?
The 34-year-old has been without a club since July after he left Qatari side Al-Duhail, who he only joined back in the January transfer window from Serie A giants Juventus.
Now, Di Marzio claims that both Villa and fellow Premier League side West Ham both made attempts to sign the veteran forward, but that Mandzukic turned them both down, instead favouring a move back to Italy.
The report adds that Mandzukic’s decision to reject a switch to England was made “recently”.
Dean Smith would have loved him
Whilst he may be getting on a bit in footballing terms at 34, Mandzukic’s style of play means that he will continue to be a valuable addition to any side wherever he goes.
The Croatian is a tireless runner and always put his team first, running his heart out for the cause. Journalist Aleksandar Holiga remarked: “He stretches the defences with constant movement and seemingly endless stamina, opening space for others to come from behind or cut inside from the wing; his pressing on the ball has proven decisive on a number of previous occasions and he is, of course, one of the best strikers in the world when it comes to aerial power. So even if he does not score himself, his presence could be key for the team’s chances.”
And with an incredible 24 trophies won in his illustrious career, including winning the Champions League with Bayern Munich, Mandzukic would have represented an outstanding coup for Villa.
His former boss at international level with Croatia, Zlatko Dalic, even hailed the striker as representing the “soul of our team”. The 34-year-old’s desire to run himself into the ground in the interests of the team is unlike most forwards, and that selflessness would surely have gone down a treat with Dean Smith.
It’s just a shame that the 6 foot 3 ace didn’t fancy a move to Villa Park.
