ITALIAN JOB FOR LUKAKU?
YOUR FULL RACECARDS AND BETTING /PAGES 54 & 55
JUVENTUS are plotting a move for Reds striker Romelu Lukaku, according to reports in Italy.
The Belgium international has been out of sorts at Old Trafford this season, scoring just six goals in 22 appearances, but that is not thought to have put the Italian champions off a move for the 25-year-old.
Calciomercato report that the Serie A leaders are considering Lukaku as a replacement for Mario Mandzukic.
Croatia international Mandzukic, 32, has scored nine goals in 19 appearances this season, with Juventus eight points clear at the top of the Italian first division.
Lukaku missed United’s 5-1 win against Cardiff on Saturday through compassionate leave and it is understood that his absence will extend to the Reds’ Boxing Day fixture at home today against Huddersfield. Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard were all on target for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side as the Reds scored five for the first time since Sir Alex Ferguson’s final game in charge back in 2013.
It was an unrecognisable performance from Jose Mourinho’s last game as manager against Liverpool the previous weekend, and Nemanja Matic explained that Solskjaer encouraged his players to ‘be more dangerous in attack’.
“He is only two days with us but we had a few meetings,” Matic told reporters after the win.
“He said we need to play more forward, to be more dangerous in attack, to run more, to compete with everything and that’s exactly what we did today and we are happy because of that.”