Manchester City are likely to be fairly busy during the next couple of transfer windows.
We’ve been seeing the team really struggle recently, and the feeling for many is that the club now need to usher in a new dawn.
A number of players who’ve been so dependable over the years are now starting to look like shadows of their former selves and some, like Kevin De Bruyne, are out of contract next summer.
The feeling is that Manchester City will commence their rebuild next month with maybe one of two additions, and then crank things up in the summer. Rodri has advised City to sign Martin Zubimendi, and fans would love to see the Spaniard sign.
And seemingly, City already have an eye on one young player – but face very strong competition to land him, including from Manchester United.
Man City eyeing transfer for Dinamo Zagreb gem Martin Baturina
Martin Baturina of GNK Dinamo is challenged by Ramy Bensebaini of Borussia Dortmund during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD5 match...
Photo by Jurij Kodrun – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images
It’s been reported by Caught Offside that Manchester City are one of a host of clubs showing interest in Croatian starlet Martin Baturina.
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Baturina plays his football for Dinamo Zagreb, and has been catching the eye for some time now. He made his debut back in 2021, and has already clocked up 141 first-team appearances for the club.
The 21-year-old is said to be coveted by Paris Saint-Germain, who have already opened talks with the youngster about a potential move to the Parc des Princes.
🔑 U21 Leaders in Key Passes, Euro Leagues:
🇭🇷 Martin Baturina, 30
🇩🇰 Clement Bischoff, 28
🇦🇷 Nico Paz, 27
🇪🇸 Lamine Yamal, 26
🇩🇪 Florian Wirtz, 26
🇪🇸 Raúl Moro, 24
🇨🇩 Noah Sadiki, 24
🇬🇭 Christopher Baah, 23
🏴 Lennon Miller, 23
🇪🇸 Pedri, 22
🇩🇰 Noah Nartey, 21
🇵🇱 Antoni Kozubal,… pic.twitter.com/KnZvUoqFbm
— Football Wonderkids (@fbwonderkids) November 23, 2024
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The suggestion is that Manchester United are currently showing the most interest in Baturina out of the Premier League clubs.
City, Liverpool, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Barcelona are all mentioned as being keen.
Zagreb are adamant that Baturina isn’t for sale. However, the report suggests PSG are working on signing Baturina for around £20 million, which may indicate where his valuation is.
Baturina has been compared to Luka Modric
City could well be in the market for a new attacking midfielder, especially with De Bruyne’s future at the club currently in doubt.
Claudio Echeverri is coming to City in January and the hope is that the Argentine will be able to establish himself as a first-team option as soon as possible. But seemingly, City are looking for more depth.
It will be a very tough job signing a successor to the Belgian, but the club may find a very promising talent in Baturina, who has already drawn comparisons to Croatian legend Luka Modric.
BeIN Sports have reported that Baturina has amazed fans with his playing style, which is reminiscent of Modric.
Martin Baturina for Dinamo Zagreb (2021-present)
Appearances – 141
Goals – 18
Assists – 34
The publication go on to say that ‘the player has stood out in the Croatian league for his vision, precise passing, and ability to control the tempo of the game’. Certainly, those were traits that Modric has regularly shown throughout his career.
Modric is one of the finest midfielders ever to grace the game. So City have surely got to keep tabs on their young talent if he’s going to turn out anything like the iconic Croatian number 10.