Manchester United join race to sign Croatia's Baturina after Como reject £43m bid

Manchester United have entered the race to sign Croatia international Martin Baturina from Como, according to reports in Italy, with the Serie A club having already rejected a £43 million offer for the 23-year-old midfielder.

Baturina caught the attention of Europe’s elite clubs at the World Cup, where he levelled the score at 1-1 against England with a ferocious long-range strike past Jordan Pickford before the Three Lions recovered to win 4-2. The former Dinamo Zagreb man joined Como for £22 million last summer and has since attracted reported interest from Bayern Munich, who enquired over his availability before Como made clear their intention to keep him.

United and Aston Villa are among the clubs monitoring Baturina, with manager Michael Carrick understood to be keen to add midfield depth as the club prepares for a return to the Champions League next season. Como head coach Cesc Fabregas is said to be determined to retain the player, at least for now.

Baturina himself remains focused on Croatia’s World Cup campaign. Following the opening defeat to England, he faces games against Panama and Ghana, with Croatia still expected to qualify from Group L.

“We didn’t manage to achieve the desired result,” Baturina said after the England 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’s summer business is already under way. The club have agreed a deal to sign Atalanta and Brazil midfielder Ederson, who is expected to arrive at Old Trafford after the World Cup. Further additions are anticipated, with United linked to West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes — where they face competition from Real Madrid and Tottenham — and Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali, who has also been connected to Manchester City and Arsenal.

The club are also exploring left-back options, with Lewis Hall among the candidates after Germany international Nathaniel Brown agreed a move to Bayern Munich. Marcus Rashford’s future adds another layer of uncertainty, with Barcelona having not triggered their option to sign the forward on a permanent basis.