Manchester United Target Croatia Star Baturina After World Cup Heroics

Manchester United’s midfield rebuild has taken another sharp turn, and this one comes with a thunderbolt attached.

Martin Baturina, the Croatia and Como playmaker who lit up his nation’s World Cup opener with a spectacular strike against England, has emerged as a serious target for the Old Trafford hierarchy, with United reportedly joining a growing list of heavyweight admirers.

Carrick’s new-look engine room

Michael Carrick’s first summer as permanent United boss was always going to revolve around the middle of the pitch. Casemiro has gone, the end of an era signed off with a handshake rather than a parade, and the club is already deep into negotiations to reshape the core of the team.

A deal for Atalanta’s Ederson is close to being rubber-stamped, a key pillar in Carrick’s plan to bring more energy and control into midfield. Manuel Ugarte, once viewed as a potential long-term solution at Old Trafford, is instead on course to reunite with Ruben Amorim at AC Milan.

United want more than one new face in that department. They need it.

The club has cooled on the idea of going toe-to-toe with Manchester City for Elliot Anderson. Sandro Tonali, heavily linked earlier in the window, now looks destined for City, Arsenal or even a surprise switch to Tottenham. Interest in West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes remains live, though Spurs are circling that deal as well.

So United have turned to a different profile. A different league. And a player whose name has started to echo across Europe.

Baturina bursts onto the radar

Baturina’s audition, if he needed one, came under the brightest lights. Against England, with Croatia trailing and struggling to impose themselves, the 23-year-old picked up the ball and unleashed a vicious, curling effort past Jordan Pickford to drag his side level. It was the kind of goal that lives on in highlight reels and scouting meetings alike.

England eventually overpowered Croatia in the second half, but the damage to their defence’s reputation had already been done. Baturina had announced himself to a wider audience.

United were watching. So were plenty of others.

The former Dinamo Zagreb talent only joined Como last summer in a £22 million deal, but his impact has been immediate and emphatic. According to reports in Italy, including Sky Sports Italy, United and Aston Villa are among a clutch of elite clubs now tracking his situation closely.

Como stand firm – for now

Any move will not be straightforward. Como, coached and fronted by Cesc Fabregas, have already rejected a £43 million bid for Baturina. Bayern Munich have also made enquiries, a clear sign of the level he has reached in a short space of time.

For the moment, Como are digging in. They have just qualified for the Champions League for the first time in their history, and Baturina has been central to that story.

Eight goals. Four assists. Those numbers only tell part of it. He has split his time between attacking midfield and the left flank, knitting together moves, drifting into half-spaces, and carrying the ball with the kind of purpose that turns tight games.

Fabregas knows what a high-class midfielder looks like. He has one of his own, and he is in no rush to let him go.

Why United are pushing

From United’s perspective, Baturina ticks several boxes at once.

He offers versatility: comfortable as a No.10, capable of operating from the left, and intelligent enough to drop into deeper pockets when needed. That flexibility becomes even more valuable with the club preparing for life after Marcus Rashford.

Rashford’s likely exit has forced United to reassess their options on the left. The club have reportedly reduced the England forward’s asking price to accelerate a move away from Old Trafford, a decision that has already drawn public pushback from former defender Rio Ferdinand, who has urged a rethink.

If Rashford does go, United will need a different kind of threat on that side – not just raw pace, but craft and link play. Baturina offers that blend, with the added bonus of being comfortable drifting centrally to overload midfield.

United’s recruitment team have already explored a number of options for that role this summer. Baturina, though, brings something rarer: a player who can reshape the way Carrick’s side attack, not just plug a gap.

A tug of war is forming

The question now is simple: how hard are United prepared to push?

Como have shown they will not be bullied, having already turned down a major offer. Bayern’s interest raises the stakes again, and Aston Villa’s emergence in the race only adds to the sense that this could become one of the most intriguing midfield chases of the window.

United want to rebuild their midfield with a new identity under Carrick. Ederson looks set to be one pillar. The next could be a Croatian playmaker who has just started to bend some of Europe’s biggest games – and biggest clubs – to his will.

If they truly believe Baturina is that player, this is the moment to prove it.