Is Manchester United's Jose Mourinho backing off from Ivan Perisic deal?

It was only a few days ago that Manchester United were reportedly said to have agreed on a deal for Inter Milan's Ivan Perisic. But, as it seems, the deal is not official with Inter Milan wanting £49 million, which is way beyond what United manager Jose Mourinho and his club wants to pay for the player.

The Red Devils are quite happy to pay something around £40 million for the Croatian winger, but Inter are holding firm. Though Perisic has been one of the most sought-after targets for Manchester United, they might not be keen to pay over the odds despite having shown interest in the player for quite some time under Mourinho.

The problem seems to be money. With players going for an astronomical fee this season, especially in the Premier League, Inter are well within their right to sell their player at a greater fee. Mourinho is not going to have any of that.

So, the deal could be called off, and Manchester United may have to look for another player. Mourinho has also made it clear about his transfer fees. 

"The transfer fees don't surprise me, really. I keep saying there is big economic power at every club. It allows clubs to say 'no' to say 'pay what I want or you don't get it. Some clubs think the market is different from others. We're not a club that is ready to pay what the clubs want us to pay, so I'm ready to go from four to three," the Mirror quoted Mourinho as saying.

But, if you look at Mourinho's transfer record, he is someone, who is great at striking business. The former Real Madrid manager does not mind shelling the right amount for the right player.

It also depends on the need. For instance, Mourinho was on the lookout for a striker, and there were not many available in the transfer market. With that knowledge, one of the in-demand Premier League strikers, Romelu Lukaku was snapped for £75 million, which shows that he is not miser when it comes to transfers as well.

Besides the Belgium international, United have also signed Victor Lindelof from Benfica.

With the transfer window closing on August 31, there is plenty of time to sign more players for Manchester United. One thing is for sure, United will sign some more players, but it remains to be seen if Perisic will be one of them.