Man Utd battle Real Madrid for wonderkid 'recommended' by Modric and compared to Wirtz

19 Sept 2024 06:42 BST
2 min read

Manchester United are set to go head-to-head with Real Madrid to sign Dinamo Zagreb youngster Martin Baturina, who already has Luka Modric’s seal of approval.

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Dinamo’s 9-2 loss against Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Tuesday might have been a memorable occasion for all the wrong reasons for the Croatian club, but there were interested observers in the stands watching the 21-year-old.

Sky Sport Deutschland reports that Man Utd and Real Madrid are among the teams tracking Baturina, who is also on the radar of Atletico Madrid, Roma and Fiorentina.

He is a player who has already caught the eye of senior pros in the game. Compatriot Modric has already advised Los Blancos to make a move for the youngster.

Furthermore, Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer had pinpointed him as one of Dinamo’s dangermen as he said: “The No.10, Baturina, is a strong player.”

Current ETV

ETV Range

€8.6M - €14.3M

How good is Baturina?

Baturina is an all-action No.10, who combines the qualities of an advanced playmaker with those of a box-to-box midfielder, giving him a profile that SciSports suggests bears a strong similarity to the likes of Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz or Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala.

He has started the 2024/25 campaign in excellent form domestically. In five matches, he already has four assists to his credit. Three of these decisive passes came on the opening day of the season against Istra.

Baturina has an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €11.4 million, making him the most valuable player currently playing in Croatia’s top-flight.

With a contract that runs until the middle of June 2028, Dinamo Zagreb are under no pressure to sell their young talent, who has been at the club for seven years.

Nevertheless, there is every chance Baturina will join the likes of Josko Gvardiol, Dani Olmo and Modric on the list of Dinamo’s most expensive sales sooner rather than later.