Man Utd join race to sign star Leeds United nearly signed for £25m on Deadline Day | OneFootball

Martin Baturina was the subject of huge interest from the Whites in the summer, but did not make the switch to the Championship.

Manchester United have reportedly sparked an interest in Dinamo Zagreb's Martin Baturina, after Leeds United had targeted the midfielder in the summer.

According to reports from Croatia, the Premier League giants are set to send scouts out to watch the 21-year-old in Friday's derby game against Hajduk Split.

This comes after they were in attendance for Croatia's 1-0 win over Poland in the Nations League last weekend, however, Baturina never made it off the bench, as per Germanijak.

The attacking midfielder has made four appearances in the SuperSport HNL, the top league in the nation of his birth, and picked up a hat-trick of assists in his first league game of the season against NK Istra as Dinamo Zagreb ran out 5–0 winners.

This new interest in Baturina will be of significant note to Leeds, after they had a bid of £25 million accepted for the youngster on deadline day, according to Croatian outlet Sportske Novosti.

Leeds may be frustrated if interest is true

The Whites' transfer window was a mixed bag. They lost key players such as Archie Gray, Crysencio Summerville and Georginio Rutter to Premier League clubs in big money moves, but were able to bring in a few replacements, such as Ao Tanaka, Largie Ramazani and Manor Solomon.

However, with the reputation that Baturina has at such a young age, many will feel that it was a missed opportunity to bring in another young prospect, while spending some of the money that was brought into the club following their sales.

Although their bid was accepted by Dinamo Zagreb, it was Baturina himself that rejected the move, seeing the switch to the second tier of England as a backwards step in his career.

The 21-year-old has already played European football at a very young age, and has five international caps to his name - making his debut for Croatia in November 2023.

The signing of a player of such high calibre would have been a huge statement from Leeds, who have slowly started to find their feet after an awkward start to the season.

Baturina will go right to the very top

Croatia has been treated to some excellent players in recent years, with Luka Modrić perhaps the one that is most synonymous with the country.

Baturina has already been compared to the Real Madrid star, and after helping his club to a seventh straight league title, it is understandable why.

He scored five goals and picked up eight assists in the league last season, and has already reached four assists in 2024/25, a number that will only rise in the coming months.

Man United's interest is a clear indication of his talent, and while no bid has been tabled from Erik Ten Hag's club, it would not be a surprise if one is placed ahead of the January transfer window.

If Baturina does move on to one of the top clubs in Europe, Leeds supporters will always wonder what would have happened if he decided to make the switch to Elland Road this summer.