United in a rush to complete £44m deal for winger Perisic

Ivan Perisic hopes to be omitted from Inter Milan’s tour party as Manchester United scramble to wrap up a £44 million deal for the unsettled Croatia winger before the Italian club fly to China today.

United are expected to pay an initial £39.5million for Perisic, with the fee rising to £44million with add-ons. Inter are close to signing Senegal forward Keita Balde from Lazio as a replacement for Perisic, who cut a glum, detached figure in a picture with Inter’s squad last week as he pushes hard to secure a transfer to Old Trafford. Perisic posted and subsequently deleted a message on his Instagram yesterday with a praying emoji next to a plane taking off, a thinly veiled reference to his hopes of skipping Inter’s flight.

Ed Woodward, United’s executive vice-chairman, is still in London as he oversees negotiations. United were due to play Real Salt Lake in the early hours today and face Manchester City in Houston on Friday. Jose Mourinho, the United manager, wants Perisic in as soon as possible and also hopes to sign a defensive midfielder, with Chelsea’s Nemanja Matic a target.

Tottenham have been playing hard ball over Eric Dier and Roma are reluctant to sell Radja Nainggolan. Perisic would become United’s third summer signing after Victor Lindelof and Romelu Lukaku to take their spending to almost £165 million.

Mourinho has hinted at continuing interest in Real Madrid striker, Alvaro Morata, and also mentioned the name of Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez, unprompted, on Sunday.

Although Wayne Rooney ended his 13-year stay at United when he re-signed for boyhood club Everton last week, an offer remains on the table for the England striker to become a United ambassador once he retires from playing. Woodward, who is close to Rooney, remains keen for that to happen, despite the 31-year-old’s return to Goodison.