Manchester United are closely monitoring a pair of Serbian wonderkids as the club continue its drive to secure the best young talent from across the footballing globe, according to a report.
A Renewed Focus on Youth
The Red Devils have acquired a selection of highly-rated youngsters since INEOS assumed the helm at Old Trafford in last year.
Ayden Heaven and Chido Obi both swapped London for Manchester after leaving Arsenal while players like Sekou Kone (Mali) and Diego Leon (Paraguay) were signed from further afield.
Bringing through young players has always been a staple of United as an institution, a tradition dating back to the Busby Babes’ roaring success in the 1950’s, and continued by the Class of ’92.
But it’s one which has lost its way, along with numerous other strands of the club’s identity, in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson malaise, propagated by the Glazer family’s dismal stewardship.
INEOS have sought to immediately correct this with a renewed focus on the Academy and attempts to streamline the transition from the youth team to the senior one – with head coach Ruben Amorim a key part of this process.
Shaun Connolly (Theatre of Red) reveals this will continue under the “watchful eye of Jim Ratcliffe and his Ineos hierarchy” with two fresh talents already in the club’s crosshairs in Serbia.
A Double Swoop in Serbia
Connolly reports there have been “enhanced efforts” in the recruitment department to expand the scope of the scouting system in South America, as evidenced by the deal to sign Leon from Cerro Porteno in January.
But it is the Superliga – Serbia’s top division – which is seen as a “potential gem for identifying talent” with the country’s major rivals “Crvena Zvezda (Red Star Belgrade) and FK Partizan boasting undeniable quality.”
This has led the Red Devils to track Partizan teammates Ognjen Ugresic and Jovan Milosevic – considered two of “Serbian football’s most promising name” according to Connolly – with a view towards signing both.
Ugresic, 19, is a long-standing target at Old Trafford who has comparisons to Jude Bellingham such is the ease with the talented midfielder has soared through the ranks of Serbian football.
The youngster’s agent, Ostoja Stjepanovic, has acknowledged suitors abroad over the winter window: “I can confirm that the winter press reports are based on reality. There is interest in him from many places: not only Manchester United observers are following his development, but also Serie A clubs.”
Ugresic’s teammate, Milosevic – a 20-year-old forward on loan at Partizan from Vfb Stuttgart – has also caught the eye of United scouts, with parallels drawn to new signing Benjamin Sesko.
The 6’3 striker has nine goals and one assist in 14 appearances for his adopted side and Partizan are keen to tie him down on a permanent deal at the end of the season. Connolly reveals the recruitment department at Old Trafford have been impressed by his “advanced attacking mindset and finishing ability with both feet.”
But the reporter contends a move for Milosevic’s contract with Stuttgart would see him “command a higher fee, given the stature of his parent club” than one for Ugresic.
Featured image Alex Livesey via Getty Images
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Darragh Fox
Darragh is a writer for The Peoples Person who spent three years as a history graduate slowly realising football was by far the most interesting thing to write about.
