Manchester United might have had a blockbuster summer transfer window, bringing in five high-quality signings – Leny Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt, Joshua Zirkzee, Noussair Mazraoui and Manuel Ugarte. Despite this, they are already planning for the future.
Dan Ashworth, being the shrewd negotiator that he is, will know that he needs to keep planning for the club’s future and not rest on the laurels of the past. The start to the season has not been overtly convincing either, with two wins and two losses in four Premier League games.
As per Fichajes, Manchester United are set to battle Real Madrid for the signature of GNK Dinamo Zagreb midfielder Martin Baturina. The 21-year-old Croatian midfielder has been dubbed the ‘next Luka Modric’ due to his playstyle.
Real Madrid are without the services of Toni Kroos and Modric at 39 doesn’t have long left in the tank. Los Blancos want to sign the Croatian wonderkid before he gets too expensive but Man Utd are set to provide competition.
The €20m-rated Croatian has received a lot of plaudits for his performances for his club. This has earned him a chance to represent his country at the highest level where he has already made five appearances.
What Baturina brings to the table is the ability to control a game from midfield. He might not be at Modric or Kroos’ levels yet, obviously, but he would be an excellent addition to Manchester United for their current squad.
Often when watching Erik ten Hag’s team play, they look very open in midfield, which results in the game having an end-to-end nature. Kobbie Mainoo is an excellent talent but ‘pausa’ is not a trait that he excels in.
Bringing Baturina in would give Man Utd more control in bigger games. Ultimately, football is very simple – the longer you are able to keep the ball, the lesser the chances for the opposition to score. It remains to be seen if the Croatian is seen wearing a Red Devils jersey any time soon.
