Manchester United and Aston Villa are interested in signing Como midfielder Martin Baturina, according to Sky Sport in Italy.
The 23-year-old joined Como from Dinamo Zagreb for £22 million last summer and had a solid debut season under manager Cesc Fabregas.
His progress has caught the eye of elite European clubs, and Sky Sport report that he is attracting Premier League interest from United and Villa.
Bayern have enquired about him too. Como remain firm on keeping him and have already turned down a £43m transfer offer for the Croatian ace.
United unlikely to secure Baturina’s signature
Baturina has been one of Croatia’s best young midfielders, and he showed his potential at Como last term with eight goals and four assists in 34 appearances.
He is primarily an attacking midfielder, but has a slight bias towards the left flank. He operated as a regular left winger during the back end of last season.
Baturina was on the losing side of Croatia’s opening World Cup game versus England yesterday, but he scored with a thunderous shot from outside the box.
United may have been impressed by Baturina’s versatility and potential, but it appears unlikely that they will persuade Como to sanction his sale this summer.
Como have one of the wealthiest owners in the world and seem under no pressure to sell, with the club qualifying for the Champions League for the first time in their history.
There is a belief that significant offers could be made for Baturina in future. Como are more likely to keep him for another season before contemplating a possible departure.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com