Manchester United Target Martin Baturina for Midfield Rebuild

Manchester United have stepped into the chase for Croatia and Como midfielder Martin Baturina, the man whose thunderbolt against England at the World Cup lit up their opening group game and underlined his growing reputation across Europe.

United’s midfield rebuild under new permanent boss Michael Carrick is already well under way, with a deal for Atalanta’s Ederson edging towards confirmation. Casemiro has gone, Manuel Ugarte is on course to reunite with Ruben Amorim at AC Milan, and Old Trafford’s engine room is being stripped back and reassembled at speed.

Carrick wants at least one more significant addition. The market around him is moving fast. United have cooled on the idea of going toe-to-toe with Manchester City for Elliot Anderson, while Sandro Tonali now looks destined for City, Arsenal or, more intriguingly, Tottenham. Interest in West Ham and Portugal midfielder Mateus Fernandes remains, even as Spurs circle with the threat of a late hijack.

Amid that swirl, the focus has shifted north to Lake Como and to Baturina.

Baturina’s breakout and Como’s resistance

The 23-year-old announced himself to English audiences in brutal fashion on Wednesday night. With Croatia trailing, he picked up the ball, opened his body and whipped a vicious, curling strike past Jordan Pickford to haul his country level. It was the sort of goal that changes not just a game, but a player’s profile.

England eventually overpowered Croatia in the second half, yet Baturina’s moment stuck. It added to a season in which he has already convinced many inside the game that he is ready for the next step.

Signed by Como from Dinamo Zagreb for £22 million last summer, Baturina has been central to one of the most remarkable stories in Italian football. Eight goals and four assists helped propel Cesc Fabregas’ side into the Champions League for the first time in their history, an achievement that has transformed the club’s outlook and, crucially, strengthened their bargaining position.

That leverage is already being tested. Como have rejected a £43 million bid for Baturina and have also fielded enquiries from Bayern Munich, underlining the scale of the competition United face. For now, Fabregas and the Como hierarchy are intent on keeping a player who can operate both in midfield and out wide, and who has become the heartbeat of their project.

A perfect fit for Carrick’s reshaped United?

It is easy to see why Carrick is intrigued. Baturina spent this season splitting his time between attacking midfield and the left flank, drifting between lines, linking play and carrying a goal threat from multiple zones. That versatility dovetails neatly with United’s needs.

The left side of United’s attack is likely to be torn up. Marcus Rashford is expected to leave, with the club reported to have reduced their asking price in an effort to accelerate his exit, despite Rio Ferdinand urging the hierarchy to reconsider and keep the academy product at Old Trafford. United have been actively scouring the market for a new option on that flank; Baturina offers that, plus the ability to slide inside and influence games as a creator.

For a club trying to inject energy, technical quality and tactical flexibility into a stale midfield, a 23-year-old who has already carried a Champions League-bound side and scored on the biggest international stage is an attractive proposition.

The question now is simple: how hard are United prepared to push? With Como already batting away major offers and heavyweight rivals circling, Carrick and the Old Trafford board must decide whether Baturina is just one of several options, or the midfielder around whom they reshape the next era.