EXCLUSIVE: Croatian wonderkid open to AC Milan move, agent reveals
Mr. Bicanic, can you confirm us AC Milan wanted to sign Soldo last January?
“I read it on some Croatian newspapers. They wanted to sign him on a loan deal with option to buy, but Dinamo Zagreb rejected Milan’s bid. He’s not a player you need to try. Soldo is one of the most promising defenders out there.”
Could he leave Dinamo Zagreb next summer?
“He has just signed a five-year contract extension with his club and will carry on growing in Croatia. However, Dinamo Zagreb would consider selling him, should they receive a good offer for him. Simunovic moved to Celtic and Lovren to Lyon just a few years ago, the same could happen with Soldo.”
Another bright talent is Hrvoje Ilic, born in 1999. He’s considered the new Pirlo and has been linked with moves to Juve and Inter. Do you see him moving to Italy next summer?
“I’d say his style is more similar to the one David Silva or Mesul Ozil. Everyone’s saying he has a bright future in front and has the potential to become the playmaker of senior Croatia national team in the future. Big Italian clubs know him very well and can even sign him as a free agent next summer. Like Pirlo, he can win games almost single-handed, given his quality on set pieces. Let’s see who will propose the best deal. Another very interesting prospect, also available as a free agent is Bruno Ivic, left-footed centre-back, he’s the captain of Osijek’s youth team and plays for Croatia U-17 team too. He’s like a soldier, very concentrate and disciplined, he could be a good investment for the future.”
Let’s talk about Antonio Marin. He’s only 15, but most people say he’s one of the best talent of Croatian football.
“The best English and Italia teams are keeping tabs on him already, they know everything about him as they’ve scouted him several times. Trouble is, Dinamo Zagreb don’t want to sell him. They want to keep Marin until 2017 when he will play the EURO U-17 Championship with Croatia. They are confident they can sell him at a very high price at the end of that tournament.”
