Leeds United have reportedly identified Dinamo Zagreb’s Ivan Sunjic as Kalvin Phillips’ replacement with Championship rivals Birmingham City offering £3.5m.
Comparing a 22-year-old midfielder to the great Andrea Pirlo is a dangerous game.
But not only does Ivan Sunjic share the Italian’s flowing locks, he also has a penchant for a beautifully weighted cross-field ball and the ability to control the tempo and the tide of a game from the centre of the park. He’s a leader too, captaining Croatia at the U21 European Championships in Italy.
With all this considered, it should be no real surprise that the Dinamo Zagreb starlet is starting to catch the eye.
The Daily Mail believes that Leeds United have launched a bid to bring Sunjic to Elland Road, while Birmingham City appear to have found enough spare change down the back of the sofa to put a £3.5 million offer on the table.
The Mail claims that Sunjic could potentially replace Kalvin Phillips at Elland Road, with the homegrown playmaker the subject of a £20 million bid from Premier League newcomers Aston Villa.
Losing Phillips would be a huge blow but, in Sunjic, Leeds appear to have identified a player with the same glorious passing range and tactical intelligence. There are worse contingency plans.
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