From Fabrizio Romano: Manchester City consider bid for Luka Vušković

Officials at Manchester City recently considered a bid for Hadjuk Split and Croatia international defender Luka Vušković, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Manchester City’s under-19s squad recently had a first-hand experience of the quality of Hadjuk Split’s rising talents, having been knocked out of the UEFA Youth League last month following a 2-1 defeat to the Croatian side’s under-19s team.

City are consistently on the search for the next big talents from across the globe, and a new report would suggest that their latest search has taken them to Croatia and in the form of an exciting centre-back prospect.

That player is 16 year-old Luka Vušković – who infamously became the youngest Croatian to ever play, and to score, in the UEFA Youth League earlier on in his rising career.

This month, Vušković also scored the opening goal in Hajduk Split’s 2–1 win over NK Osijek in the quarter finals of the 2022/23 Croatian Football Cup, and at 16 years and 5 days old, he became the youngest goalscorer in the history of Hajduk Split in official matches.

Now, according to the information of Fabrizio Romano, Manchester City were considering a bid for Luka Vušković – who is already playing with the Hajduk Split first-team, despite his age, in a testament to his abilities.

However, it is highlighted that the situation concerning the player has changed in recent weeks, after Hajduk Split extended the central defender’s contract until June 2026, meaning that the race for the player will now be wide open.

Manchester City’s summer transfer window could revolve around another Croatian centre-back in the coming weeks, as rumours continue to circulate around a possible deal for RB Leipzig’s Josko Gvardiol.

The 21 year-old has impressed onlookers throughout the ongoing season, both at club level and during the recent FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The defender also got on the scoresheet in the Champions League last-16 first-leg against Manchester City in Germany last month.

City officials will get another opportunity to view their potential transfer target when the two teams meet again later this month, with Leipzig visiting the Etihad Stadium in between Pep Guardiola and his players’ meetings against Crystal Palace in the Premier League and Burnley in the FA Cup quarter-finals.