Manchester United round-up: Interest in PSG star; Perisic deal dealt blow; Mourinho wants 15-year stay

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In what would be a shock move, Italian source Tuttomercatoweb say that Manchester United are tracking Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Marco Verratti. The Italian is also being targeted by Barcelona this summer but the Parisian club are reluctant to allow him to leave France.

There is no suggestion, as of yet, that United have made a bid for the Italian international, but they are keeping an eye on him. Verratti would add quality to the Red Devils’ midfield alongside Ander Herrera. His creative side would add a different dimension in partnership with the tough tackling Spaniard.

However, the club have been dealt a blow in their pursuit of Inter Milan winger Ivan Perisic as the Independent report that the Croatian has been included in their squad to travel to China on a pre-season tour. That is only likely to delay any move and clearly indicates that the San Siro side are not close to selling.

Jose Mourinho may also be concerned about bringing Perisic to Old Trafford late in the window after seeing Paul Pogba and Henrikh Mkhitaryan struggle for fitness in similar circumstances last season. Even then, the Portuguese manager will want the 28-year-old to be part of his squad, whenever it may be.

Mourinho is clearly planning for the long term and has no plans to leave Manchester just yet. The former Real Madrid boss has spoken out to ESPN to express his belief that he could remain at the club for years to come as he said:

“I am ready for this [year]. I am ready for the next 15 [years], I would say. Here? Yes, why not? I have to admit that it is very difficult because of the pressure around our jobs… But what I try to do in the club is show that my work goes further than the football results, that it goes to areas that people don’t think of as a manager’s job. In my vision, my job is much more than what I do on the pitch and the results that my team gets at the weekend.”

That could see Mourinho remain in the Old Trafford dugout until the age of 69 and would see him not far behind the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger in terms of loyalty. It would however be a change for the boss, who has never spent more than three years as manager at one club in a single stint.