Reds run rule over Croatian pair

Croatian Manchester United fan CRO_oney will be particularly happy to hear that Manchester United will be sending their Balkan scout to watch Matteo Kovacic. The long time supporter of the Red Devils had alerted me to Kovacic’s talent and I had jokingly sent a tweet to Man Utd’s Nick Coppack ascking him to pass it on to United’s scouting department. I’m not saying for one minute that it resulted in the player being scouted. i’m just sharing the coincidence.

Manchester United are on the trail of Croatian teenage starlets Mateo Kovacic and Mario Situm and will have them watched this weekend.

United’s Balkan scout will be in attendance at the Stadion Poljud in Split when the young duo line up for Dinamo Zagreb in one of the hottest rivalries in European football against Hajduk Split.

Reds scouts were alerted to the 17-year-old midfielder Kovacic and 19-year-old striker Situm recently, but United will be among several big clubs represented at the game.

Kovacic has been likened to Barcelona’s Lionel Messi back in Croatia and reports claim he will be out of contract in the summer, although Dinamo are in talks to tie him down to a new deal.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger sent his chief scout Bobby Bennett to watch the pair in action against Osijek back in August and reported back in glowing terms after seeing Kovacic score once and Situm twice in a 4-0 Dinamo win.