Manchester United Target Martin Baturina for Midfield Rebuild

Manchester United have moved into the hunt for Croatia and Como midfielder Martin Baturina, the World Cup eye-catcher whose thunderbolt against England has sharpened interest from some of Europe’s biggest clubs.

Carrick’s midfield rebuild is already well under way. A deal for Atalanta’s Ederson is close to being confirmed, Casemiro has gone, and Manuel Ugarte is on course to reunite with Ruben Amorim at AC Milan. The message from Old Trafford is clear: the core of United’s midfield is being torn up and reimagined.

In that context, Baturina’s name carries real weight.

United turn to Como’s rising star

United have cooled on a number of other targets. They are not prepared to get dragged into a direct fight with Manchester City for Elliot Anderson, while Sandro Tonali is now expected to end up at City, Arsenal or, more intriguingly, Tottenham. Interest in West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes remains, even as Spurs lurk with intent over that deal as well.

So United have looked elsewhere. The latest move is towards Como and towards a player who has been quietly building a serious reputation.

Baturina, 23, announced himself to a wider audience with that stunning strike against England in Croatia’s World Cup opener on Wednesday night. Picking up the ball, he bent a vicious, curling effort beyond Jordan Pickford to haul Croatia level, a moment that briefly rattled the Three Lions before they eventually took control and pulled away in the second half.

That goal did not come out of nowhere. The former Dinamo Zagreb midfielder cost Como £22million last summer and has been central to one of the most remarkable stories in Italian football. Under Cesc Fabregas, Como have surged into the Champions League for the first time in their history, and Baturina has been at the heart of it.

• Eight goals.
• Four assists.
• Influence all over the pitch.

Como hold firm as bids arrive

That form has not gone unnoticed. According to reports in Italy, Como have already rejected a £43m bid for Baturina and have also fielded an enquiry from Bayern Munich. United and Aston Villa are both named among the clubs tracking him closely.

For now, Como are standing their ground. Fabregas and the club’s hierarchy want to keep a player who can operate as an attacking midfielder or out wide and who gives their system a rare flexibility. He has split his season almost evenly between the No.10 role and the left flank, drifting inside to dictate play or driving at full-backs with the confidence of a winger who knows he can decide games.

That versatility is precisely what appeals to United.

Michael Carrick’s squad needs legs, craft and goals from midfield, but it also needs options on the left as the club prepares for life after Marcus Rashford. United have already lowered the asking price for the England forward in an effort to accelerate his departure, a stance that has drawn public calls from Rio Ferdinand for a rethink but one that, inside Old Trafford, looks increasingly entrenched.

In Baturina, United see a player who can cover both lines of that problem: a midfielder who can slide into the half-spaces, and a left-sided attacker who can step into a role that may soon be vacant.

Como, though, are under no pressure to sell and have already shown they are willing to turn away major offers. If United decide Baturina is the man to complete Carrick’s midfield overhaul, they will have to prove it the hard way – with a bid that forces one of Europe’s new Champions League entrants to break up the team that got them there.