Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane has refused to rule out the possibility of Luka Jovic leaving the club on loan before the transfer deadline, with Manchester United eyeing a last-ditch move for the striker.
Jovic has fallen some way short of expectations after joining Madrid for a fee of €60million (£55m) ahead of the 2019/20 campaign and the 22-year-old is looking for a temporary escape route out of the Bernabeu in order to guarantee regular playing time.
United head coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is keen to add a centre-forward to his squad for the new campaign and talks have taken place with free agent Edinson Cavani and Jovic over the last few days.
Jovic is said to be ‘seduced’ by the prospect of a switch to Old Trafford and discussions are progressing well, with a loan agreement appearing to suit all parties and United prepared to pay the attacker’s €8million (£7.3m) salary.
The Serbia international was handed a rare start last week as Madrid got the better of Real Betis in La Liga which indicated that Zidane could be willing to give him a chance in the first-team this term.
However, Zidane suggested a move for Jovic could still be on the cards when pressed on the forward’s future ahead of the side’s clash with Valladolid.
‘You have to take everything into account,’ the Frenchman said.
‘Until October 5, the market is open. We will see.
‘The players are fine and that’s what interests me.’
Zidane denied rumours of a possible rift with Jovic after leaving the Serbian on the bench as Real Sociedad frustrated Madrid in a goalless stalemate at the start of the season.
‘I didn’t want to change the formation,’ he explained following the draw.
‘So, I could have put on another centre-forward by taking one off, but I didn’t want to change the formation.
‘I’d have had to take [Karim] Benzema off, but he was playing well.
‘By playing two centre-forwards, I would have needed to change the formation yet I wanted to keep two wingers on the wings.’
But an initial £12m offer from United was swiftly rejected, with Porto holding out for a fee of £18m for the Brazil international.
Telles is desperate to push through a move to the Theatre of Dreams and has requested that the Portuguese outfit lower their asking price.
Arsenal’s Ainsley Maitland-Niles has also been mooted as a potential target but United have reportedly been quick to deny these rumours.
