The race to land highly rated teenager Robert Muric has intensified with Ajax yet to finalise an agreement with the striker.
While the Dutch giants are thought to be in pole position to sign the Croatian, Premier League heavyweights Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur are all reported to be keen.
Muric is yet to play for Dinamo Zagreb and there is also some confusion as to whether he has already signed a professional contract at the club, which could mean his next club would have to pay as little as £300,000, which would represent a coup for someone who is regarded as “the sensation of all scouts from the most powerful European clubs.â€
Despite not playing for Zagreb, it’s his form with the Croatian under 17’s that has attracted the interest of Europe’s elite. Muric shined during the recent World Cup and reports in Croatia claim United would even be willing to pay the reported £6 million fee if it turns out he has signed a professional deal.
Muric will see out the remainder of the 2013/14 campaign in his native Croatia, but will then be on the move after shunning the offer of fresh terms at Dinamo. It had been suggested that he had given his word to Ajax that he would complete a switch to Holland, but the Eredivisie outfit admit that they have no deal in place.
Technical director Marc Overmars told Index:
“Muric is wanted by many clubs – everybody wants him. He really is a great talent and will be a free agent in the summer. But he is not yet ours.â€
Meanwhile, another Croatian teenager, Hajduk Split midfielder Mario Pasalic, has confirmed that he will be linking up with Chelsea in the summer, with a deal having been struck at the end of January.
He told Slobodna Dalmacija at a ceremony commemorating Hajduk’s 103-year anniversary: “The Hajduk jersey is sacred and I will miss it in the summer when I go to Chelsea.â€
