CROATIAN YOUNGSTER SNUBS MAN CITY

Manchester City received a shocker when 19-year old Croatian youngster rebuffed their interest in him, reports claim.


Ante Coric was set for a move to the Etihad to play under Pep Guardiola but he tunred down the move despite City dropping as much as £15 million. He plays for Dinamo Zagreb, and the club were willing to release him for the trip, but after the player discovered that he would not be able to get a shirt in the current squad yet, he killed the deal.

Coric is one of the hottest names in Croatia, with his style of play similar to that of Croatia senior team player Luka Modric. The Real Madrid star used to be in the Premier League but has gone on to establish a name for himself in Europe as one of the best play makers. The ambitious player wanted more from City, asking for instant invitation to the senior team which City declined.

Reports say City were planning on signing him, then sending him on loan to Granada in Spain to develop. Guardiola’s friend, Paco Jemez was supposed to monitor his progress there, but Coric’s representatives rejected such an arrangement. Man City are likely to free some positions when they sell off Yaya Toure, Samir Nasri and Joe Hart. However, there are still other players that can deliver ahead of the Croatian. The number of players that are “non-home-grown” stand at 19, with the limit being 17.

Coric scored four goals last season, and added five assists in his 28 games for the club. He joined the squad that made it to Euro 2016 knockout stage, but he couldn’t get his debut until they were knocked out. Coric prefers to remain with his club as he is guaranteed first team action.