Manchester United Target Martin Baturina for Midfield Rebuild
Manchester United’s midfield rebuild is gathering pace – and the search has led them to one of the breakout names of the summer: Croatia and Como star Martin Baturina.
United are already closing in on Atalanta’s Ederson as Michael Carrick reshapes the core of his side, but the job is far from done. Casemiro has gone. Manuel Ugarte is on course to reunite with Ruben Amorim at AC Milan. The spine that once looked heavyweight suddenly needs fresh legs, fresh ideas, fresh energy.
So United are casting the net wider. And Baturina has forced his way to the top of the conversation.
From thunderbolt vs England to Premier League radar
The 23-year-old catapulted himself into English consciousness with a stunning strike against England in Croatia’s World Cup opener. Picking up the ball with space to work, he whipped a vicious, curling effort beyond Jordan Pickford to drag his country level on Wednesday night. For a moment, Wembley fell silent.
England eventually overpowered Croatia in the second half, but the damage – from a scouting perspective – was already done. Baturina’s blend of technique, power and nerve on the big stage will not have gone unnoticed at Old Trafford.
United’s recruitment team have been tracking a host of midfield and wide options this summer. Interest in Elliot Anderson has cooled, with the club unwilling to go into a straight fight with Manchester City. Sandro Tonali is being pulled towards City, Arsenal or even Tottenham. West Ham and Portugal midfielder Mateus Fernandes remains on the radar, though Spurs are circling that deal as well.
Amid that traffic, Baturina has emerged as a serious, live option.
Como dig their heels in
This is no bargain-hunt raid on a small club. Como, coached by Cesc Fabregas, have already shown they are in no mood to be bullied in the market.
The Italian side have turned down a £43 million bid for Baturina and fielded enquiries from Bayern Munich. They paid £22m to bring him in from Dinamo Zagreb last summer and have watched his value rocket after a superb season that helped deliver the greatest achievement in the club’s history: qualification for the Champions League for the first time.
Fabregas’ team know exactly what they have. A midfielder who can operate centrally, push on as a No.10 or slide out to the flank. A player who can knit play, carry the ball and finish attacks. Someone who, stylistically, drops neatly into the kind of fluid, interchangeable midfield Carrick is trying to build.
Eight goals and four assists for Como only scratch the surface. Baturina’s influence stretched far beyond raw numbers as he split his minutes between attacking midfield and the left wing, offering tactical flexibility that elite clubs crave.
United’s left flank in flux
That left side of United’s attack is under review. Marcus Rashford, once untouchable, is edging towards the exit. The club have cut his asking price in a bid to accelerate a sale, despite Rio Ferdinand publicly urging United to reconsider and keep the England forward.
With Rashford likely to move on, United need more than just a central midfielder. They need someone who can drift wide, threaten from the half-spaces and still function as part of a compact, hard-working unit off the ball. Baturina ticks those boxes.
He is not a like-for-like replacement for Rashford, but he offers something different: a playmaker’s brain from advanced areas, a midfielder’s work-rate, and a winger’s willingness to attack his full-back.
A battle on several fronts
United are not alone. Aston Villa are among the clubs credited with strong interest, while Bayern’s enquiry underlines the level Baturina is now operating at. Como, armed with Champions League football and no financial need to sell on the cheap, hold a powerful hand.
For Carrick and United’s hierarchy, the question is simple: how badly do they want him, and how much are they prepared to pay to beat the competition?
The midfield rebuild has already started. Ederson is on his way. Other targets are in play. But if United decide Baturina is the next piece, they will have to wrest him away from a club and a coach who believe they are building something special of their own.
One thunderous goal against England put his name up in lights. The next few weeks will show whether that moment was just a highlight reel clip – or the spark that sends him to Old Trafford.
