Manchester United have joined the race to sign Croatia and Como midfielder Martin Baturina, according to reports in Italy. United are keen to strengthen their midfield as Michael Carrick leads the team into the Champions League next season.
Baturina, 23, stunned England when he ran onto the ball on the edge of the area and unleashed a ferocious shot past Jordan Pickford. The midfield star levelled the score at 1-1 before the Three Lions eventually claimed a 4-2 victory, with Marcus Rashford getting on the scoresheet.
The former Dinamo Zagreb star, who joined Como for £22million last summer, is said to have caught the eye of a number of elite European clubs. United and Aston Villa are among that group, report Sky Sports in Italy.
The Italian side are said to have knocked back a £43m offer for Baturina already, and Bayern Munich reportedly enquired over his availability. For the moment, Cesc Fabregas' side are keen to retain his services.
Barturina is currently focused on Croatia's efforts at the World Cup. He is set to line up against Panama and Ghana following defeat to England, with the European side still favoured to qualify from Group L alongside the Three Lions.
"We didn't manage to achieve the desired result," Baturina said following his side's opening loss. "I think we controlled most of the game, especially the first half, unfortunately, mistakes were the deciding factor. They were better at the stakes, and they won."
"We have two games ahead of us in which we will have to achieve a positive result. Our ambitions are still high, but we are taking it one game at a time."
United have already agreed a deal to sign one Serie A star, with Atalanta and Brazil midfielder Ederson set to arrive at Old Trafford following the World Cup. The club's business is not expected to end there, however, and they have been persistently linked to a number of players.
While United are said to have given up on England star Elliot Anderson, they remain linked to West Ham's Mateus Fernandes and Newcastle United ace Sandro Tonali. They are set to face competition from the likes of Real Madrid and Tottenham for Irons midfielder Fernandes, while Tonali has been linked to Manchester City and Arsenal.
United also have plans to strengthen elsewhere. A left-back could arrive at Old Trafford, with Lewis Hall a candidate after Germany's Nathaniel Brown agreed a move to Bayern.
Rashford's future is also set to be a source of transfer intrigue. Barcelona did not trigger their option to sign the England international permanently. The club are set to reject any loan offer from the Catalan club in the coming months. They prefer to see the academy product depart permanently.
