One to watch: Parma forward catches United eye on scouting mission

Although it seems like Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is planning for life without Chris Smalling, reports suggest the Red Devils are sending scouts to Roma matches to keep tabs on the centre-back.

While doing so it is alleged that Parma forward Dejan Kulusevski caught the eye of a Manchester United scout.

That piece of intel comes from Italian media outlet Corriere della Sera, who claim that Kulusevski, on loan at Parma from Atalanta, is on United’s radar after impressing in the 2-0 win over Smalling’s Roma.

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Listed as a right winger on Transfermarkt, the 19-year-old can play in central midfield as well as the opposite flank.

This season he has made 12 appearances in Serie A, scoring 2 goals and assisting a further 5, as per WhoScored. Being Swedish you’d think Golden Ball winner for a second successive year, Victor Lindelof, would be able to have a word with the attacker to convince him Old Trafford is the place to be.

With his rather gangly frame and eye for a cutting pass, you can easily see why comparisons have been made to Lazio talisman Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, who is another midfielder with strong transfer links to Old Trafford, although they never quite materialised past the gossip column stages.

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The same reports in Italy claim Southampton are lining up a £15m January bid for the player, which could be simply a matter of the Saints trying to edge their way in before it’s too late, but does he really want to join a club hovering around the relegation spots and likely to go down this season? 

Kulusevski will like the idea of regular game time but joining relegation fodder could also stagnate his career. He should wait and return to Atalanta before making a definite decision.

I like the sound of United targeting these lesser known players around Europe. We may not even go for Kulusevski, but it shows intent to unearth new gems and the club need to get back to buying sensibly!

Check out the video below for some clips of Kulusevski in action – not that YouTube videos tell you everything you need to know about transfer targets!

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