Leeds United reportedly made a bid for Dinamo Zagreb starlet Sunjic but Serie A side AC Milan are allegedly keen too.
It seemed only a matter of time before Ivan Sunjic was being compared to arguably the greatest Croatian footballer of all time.
The country’s U21 captain certainly shares a few similarities with Luka Modric after all and not just because, like the reigning Ballon D’Or winner, he started his career at Dinamo Zagreb.
A play-maker with wonderful technique, Sunjic shares Modric’s ability to pick a pass with his eyes closed and orchestrate the tempo from the centre of the park.
According to the Mail, Leeds launched a bid to sign the 22-year-old at the start of July while Championship rivals Birmingham City offered £3.5 million.
Yet it would be a major surprise to see Sunjic fizzing 60-yard passes in the second tier of English football next season now that seven-time European champions AC Milan have taken a keen interest in a player who appears to have the world at his feet.
According to Calciomercato, Sunjic has emerged as a ‘dream’ signing for a Rossoneri side looking to build a squad capable of returning one of Europe’s most historic sides to the Champions League.
Zvonimir Boban, a Croatia legend who won four Serie A titles with Milan before returning to the San Siro as their chief operating officer, is understood to be a huge fan of Dinamo Zagreb’s latest pass master.
So if Leeds want to lure Sunjic to Elland Road, their task has just got a lot harder.
Fortunately, with Kalvin Phillips looking increasingly likely to stay in West Yorkshire, they might not need a new deep-lying playmaker after all.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
