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Manchester United have been linked with a shock move for experienced Croatian striker, Bruno Petkovic.
The Red Devils are in desperate need of help up front as they have only managed to find the back of the net 39 times in 28 matches in the league.
Most of the goalscoring responsibility has had to fall on the young shoulders of summer recruit, Rasmus Hojlund, and he has responded with a credible 13 goals in all competitions.
In fact, before picking up an injury in February, the Danish striker had become the youngest player in Premier League history to score in six consecutive league games, with a brace against Luton Town.
However, the poor form of Marcus Rashford and the relentless injuries to Anthony Martial, mean that the club is incredibly light up front.
Subsequently, rumours have circulated that United will aim to bring in another top striker like Harry Kane or Joshua Zirkzee to compete with Hojlund.
However, Croatian outlet Index.hr, claim that the side from Old Trafford have been casting an eye over one of Dinamo Zagreb’s key players, Bruno Petkovic.
The paper states, “as we have learned, Manchester United are interested in Bruno Petković. It sounds like a mega-sensation, but the scouts of the English giant were in Maksimir these days and watched Dinamo’s captain live. It was assumed that they were coming to watch Martin Baturina, but their first target was Petković, who is having one of his best seasons in Dinamo”.
The player is enjoying a standout season, with 16 goals and seven assists and according to the outlet, “without him, Dinamo would be completely powerless”.
“There is no official contact yet” but “Petković is one of the players they are following, and the price is certainly tempting”.
“At United, they know that they would pay drastically more for a similar player from a stronger league, especially the English league. Dinamo would release Petković for between five and ten million euros and would not be able to wait long since his contract expires in the summer of 2025”.
However, the paper warns that the price may rise if the forward enjoys a strong Euro 2024 tournament with Croatia this summer, and that would certainly bring other teams into the equation.
The forward has been a regular scorer for Dinamo, reaching double figures in his last six seasons. He is also the second top scorer in the Conference League with seven goals in the tournament.
The player has a wealth of experience and has represented his national side 34 times, finding the back of the net 10 times.
Famously the attacker scored a 117th minute equaliser against Brazil in the 2022 World Cup quarter finals, which took the game to penalties that the Balkan side would be victorious in.
However, it must be stated that United are only scouting the player at the moment and despite the “tempting” price, it would seem a huge gamble to expect a 29 year old, who has played the vast majority of his football in the Croatian league, to make the gigantic step up to the Premier League.
While it might be a sensible option to bring in an old head to guide Hojlund but not take away too much vital game time from his development, it is almost certain that INEOS would want someone with more experience at the highest level.
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