United’s hunt for the “new Luka Modric” ramps up with his club now ready to listen to 68m offers – report

Manchester United may have signed two midfielders already this summer, but they continue to scout the market for further additions to the middle of the park. The Red Devils are working to offset the departure of Casemiro, who left the club as a free agent this summer. The Brazilian was indispensable in the English giants’ march to third place in the Premier League last season. INEOS are working to ensure that the veteran midfielder is not missed in the upcoming campaign. United have already signed Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans from Chelsea and Aston Villa respectively to strengthen the middle of the park. There is growing belief that the Red Devils could now move for a defensive midfielder, with Manu Kone suggested as an option. However, with Bruno Fernandes set to turn 32 in September, the Premier League giants are also ready to add more creativity to the squad. A recent report relayed by The Peoples Person states that United have identified Como attacking midfielder Martin Baturina as an option to address the situation. Serie A’s rising star Baturina spent his formative years with Dinamo Zagreb before earning a place in the senior side. It was during his time with the Croatian side that the player caught the eye of Como, who secured his services in a reported €20 million deal. That move turned out to be a masterstroke, with the 23 year old helping the Biancoblu to secure fourth place in the Serie A table. He finished the campaign with eight goals and four assists in 34 appearances across all competitions for the Lombardy-based club. Martin Baturina Stats: 2025/26 Season CompetitionAppearancesStartsGoalsAssistsYellow CardsRed CardsMinutes Played Serie A291763–1,569′ Italy Cup53211-266′ Total3420841-1,835′ Source: Transfermarkt. Baturina’s performances also earned him a place in Zlatko Dalić’s team for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The player impressed at the summer’s spectacle, as Croatia were knocked out in the Round of 32 by Portugal. Baturina started all four games at the World Cup and scored a goal, attracting interest from several clubs across Europe. He has already been compared to Croatia legend Luka Modric. Como president Mirwan Suwarso has now opened up on the club’s position regarding player sales. Como will only sell United target on their own terms Speaking recently, as cited by Calciomercato, Suwarso hinted that Como could be open to Baturina’s departure this summer. However, he warned that the Serie A club will only let their players leave on their own terms. He said: “If there’s an offer, we’ll listen to it. If we like it, we’ll accept it, but we’re not afraid to turn it down.” “Last summer we turned down a 60 million offer for Assane Diao – I can’t say from whom. And in the winter, we also turned down another 40 million offer for Jayden Addai.” The report also confirms interest from Manchester United, but suggests that Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur are in the race as well. The previous report relayed by The Peoples Person suggests that a move could be possible for €80 million (£67.9 million). Final Thoughts Baturina could be an excellent long-term replacement for Bruno Fernandes at the Theatre of Dreams. However, his steep asking price, coupled with his lack of Premier League experience, does raise questions about the deal. Featured image Marco Luzzani via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Deepungsu Pandit Deepungsu has been a Manchester United fan since 2000. In his playing days, he was an attacking midfielder with a proclivity for the back heel. Right now, however, he prefers to operate as a regista. Deepungsu has been writing about the Red Devils, Football, and other things since 2009. He has worked for over seven years with Sportskeeda, writing football reviews, opinions and news articles. Deepungsu also maintains a blog, The Thinking Me, where he writes about life and things that interest him. His favourite Manchester United player is Paul Scholes.