Reports in Croatia suggest Liverpool are closing in on Croatian duo Anas Sharbini and Mario Mandzukic in the wake of the sale of Xabi Alonso.
The latest Croat star to be linked with a move to the Premier League is 22-year-old NK Rijeka midfield star Anas Sharbini. Celtic reportedly made a tentative enquiry in January but Liverpool are being strongly linked in the Croatian press after the sale of Xabi Alonso. The player should also be available at a knock-down £3m as his contract expires at the end of the 2009/10 season.
Sharbini’s talent was brought to public attention in the 2007/08 season after a superb campaign in which the attacking midfielder scored 11 goals in 28 League appearances (27 starts). This superb form led to a call up to the Croatian national squad as a reserve in case of injuries for Euro 2008. He’s yet to play for his country at full international level but recently earned a call-up after impressing in the U21 side.
The young star enjoyed another excellent season in 2008/09 with 14 League goals in 27 League appearances but is reported to be desperate to leave the club. Sharbini’s goal tally was only bettered by two other players last season. The talented star has started the 2009/10 season in sensational style with a hat-trick in the club’s opening league match and a further strike in their Europa League qualifying defeat to Ukrainian outfit Metalist. Dinamo Zagreb are said to be keen but potential suitors include Liverpool, Ajax, West Ham, Salzburg, Hamburg, Aston Villa and Trabzonspor.
Sharbini is a technically gifted, quick, two-footed playmaker and could prove a bargain buy for a number of clubs needing to add creativity to their ranks for a knock-down price. Rafa Benitez is looking to strengthen his midfield options with bargain buys and the fact the youngster can also play in Steven Gerrard’s 2nd striker position is an added bonus.
The Croatian star’s father was born in Damascus but moved to Rijeka in the 1980’s, therefore Sharbini could have opted for Syria at international level but instead chose the country of his and his mother’s birth. At 5 ft 11 he is not as lightweight as compatriot Luka Modric so may settle quicker in terms of the physical nature of British football. He is also renowned for his set-piece capabilities and has been tagged the ‘new Boban’ by the Croatian press which is high praise indeed.
Interest is growing in one of Croatia’s brightest young talents Mario Mandzukic this summer. The Dinamo Zagreb striker was expected to move to Werder Bremen but reports in the German and Croatian media suggest the deal has fallen through due to the player’s price-tag thought to be £12.8m.
The player’s agent Ivan Cvjetkovic has confirmed that the player wants out. He told German newspaper Bild, “We have told Dinamo that Mario wants to leave the club.”
A stumbling block may be the players recent appearance in the Champions League qualifiers although the club’s exit at the hands of Austrian champions Salzburg means the club are more likely to sell.
Interest in England has been growing and the player revealed his ambition when he declared, “My goal is to join a strong club where I will continue to progress.”
Mandzukic finished as top goal scorer in the Croatian league following 16 goals in 28 league appearances (27 starts). This haul didn’t include any penalties and explains why he is so highly-rated in his homeland and now Europe. He has started this season in the same vein with 2 goals in his first two league appearances and a strike one goal in Europe. The 23-year-old joined Dinamo in the summer of 2007 as a replacement for Arsenal bound Eduardo da Silva and has been a big success after scoring 29 goals in 59 league appearances for the current Croatian champions.
The 6 ft 1 striker was born in Slavonski Brod but started his career with German outfit Ditzingen before returning to his homeland to join NK Marsonia. Mandzukic did not feature in the first team before leaving to join NK Zagreb. In two seasons with the club, the tall striker scored 14 league goals in 51 appearances before Dinamo made their 1.3 million Euro move.
Mandzukic finished last season in excellent form with 8 goals in his last 10 league appearances and has proven to be a huge success as Dinamo have won back to back league and cup doubles since he joined. He’s renowned as an excellent finisher who is sharp in the box and is now a regular member of the Croatian international squad.
The 23-year-old has scored once in 5 international appearances and that goal came against England in the 4-1 home qualifying defeat back in September 2008. He’d been on the pitch just 6 minutes when he scored.
Man City were linked with the striker when Sven Goran Eriksson was in charge. Portsmouth and Tottenham have also had the exciting new striking talent scouted on numerous occasions. He would be an excellent alternative to Fernando Torres at Liverpool as he is capable of playing the lone striker role and is an excellent link-up man.
The latest Croat star to be linked with a move to the Premier League is 22-year-old NK Rijeka midfield star Anas Sharbini. Celtic reportedly made a tentative enquiry in January but Liverpool are being strongly linked in the Croatian press after the sale of Xabi Alonso. The player should also be available at a knock-down £3m as his contract expires at the end of the 2009/10 season.
Sharbini’s talent was brought to public attention in the 2007/08 season after a superb campaign in which the attacking midfielder scored 11 goals in 28 League appearances (27 starts). This superb form led to a call up to the Croatian national squad as a reserve in case of injuries for Euro 2008. He’s yet to play for his country at full international level but recently earned a call-up after impressing in the U21 side.
The young star enjoyed another excellent season in 2008/09 with 14 League goals in 27 League appearances but is reported to be desperate to leave the club. Sharbini’s goal tally was only bettered by two other players last season. The talented star has started the 2009/10 season in sensational style with a hat-trick in the club’s opening league match and a further strike in their Europa League qualifying defeat to Ukrainian outfit Metalist. Dinamo Zagreb are said to be keen but potential suitors include Liverpool, Ajax, West Ham, Salzburg, Hamburg, Aston Villa and Trabzonspor.
Sharbini is a technically gifted, quick, two-footed playmaker and could prove a bargain buy for a number of clubs needing to add creativity to their ranks for a knock-down price. Rafa Benitez is looking to strengthen his midfield options with bargain buys and the fact the youngster can also play in Steven Gerrard’s 2nd striker position is an added bonus.
The Croatian star’s father was born in Damascus but moved to Rijeka in the 1980’s, therefore Sharbini could have opted for Syria at international level but instead chose the country of his and his mother’s birth. At 5 ft 11 he is not as lightweight as compatriot Luka Modric so may settle quicker in terms of the physical nature of British football. He is also renowned for his set-piece capabilities and has been tagged the ‘new Boban’ by the Croatian press which is high praise indeed.
Interest is growing in one of Croatia’s brightest young talents Mario Mandzukic this summer. The Dinamo Zagreb striker was expected to move to Werder Bremen but reports in the German and Croatian media suggest the deal has fallen through due to the player’s price-tag thought to be £12.8m.
The player’s agent Ivan Cvjetkovic has confirmed that the player wants out. He told German newspaper Bild, “We have told Dinamo that Mario wants to leave the club.”
A stumbling block may be the players recent appearance in the Champions League qualifiers although the club’s exit at the hands of Austrian champions Salzburg means the club are more likely to sell.
Interest in England has been growing and the player revealed his ambition when he declared, “My goal is to join a strong club where I will continue to progress.”
Mandzukic finished as top goal scorer in the Croatian league following 16 goals in 28 league appearances (27 starts). This haul didn’t include any penalties and explains why he is so highly-rated in his homeland and now Europe. He has started this season in the same vein with 2 goals in his first two league appearances and a strike one goal in Europe. The 23-year-old joined Dinamo in the summer of 2007 as a replacement for Arsenal bound Eduardo da Silva and has been a big success after scoring 29 goals in 59 league appearances for the current Croatian champions.
The 6 ft 1 striker was born in Slavonski Brod but started his career with German outfit Ditzingen before returning to his homeland to join NK Marsonia. Mandzukic did not feature in the first team before leaving to join NK Zagreb. In two seasons with the club, the tall striker scored 14 league goals in 51 appearances before Dinamo made their 1.3 million Euro move.
Mandzukic finished last season in excellent form with 8 goals in his last 10 league appearances and has proven to be a huge success as Dinamo have won back to back league and cup doubles since he joined. He’s renowned as an excellent finisher who is sharp in the box and is now a regular member of the Croatian international squad.
The 23-year-old has scored once in 5 international appearances and that goal came against England in the 4-1 home qualifying defeat back in September 2008. He’d been on the pitch just 6 minutes when he scored.
Man City were linked with the striker when Sven Goran Eriksson was in charge. Portsmouth and Tottenham have also had the exciting new striking talent scouted on numerous occasions. He would be an excellent alternative to Fernando Torres at Liverpool as he is capable of playing the lone striker role and is an excellent link-up man.
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