Manchester United are looking to get one over their rivals Manchester City by clinching the signings of Dinamo Zagreb pair Alen Halilovic and Sime Vrsaljko.
Halilovic is seen as one of the brightest young prospects in Europe and comes from the academy of the club that has produced the likes of Luka Modric, Vedran Corluka and Niko Kranjcar.
Halilovic is rated at £15 million ($24 million) by Zagreb, with Manchester City reportedly having a £7 million ($11 million) bid turned down by the club.
The 16-year-old has been making waves in Croatia and has already been compared to Modric, with United now joining the growing list of admirers.
According to the Daily Mail, United chief executive David Gill flew to Croatia to talk to the club over making a move for Halilovic and 20-year-old right-back Vrsaljko.
The report claims Gill flew back to Manchester confident that a deal can be agreed upon soon, believed to be in the region of £20 million ($32 million) for the pair.
Gill also reportedly enquired about another bright young starlet Mateo Kovacic. United reportedly turned down the chance of signing the 18-year-old in the summer after being put off by the £10 million ($16 million) asking price.
City have been linked with moves for both Kovacic and Halilovic repeatedly in the past, and it will be interesting to see which of the Manchester clubs wins the race for the talented players.
Meanwhile, United legend Eric Cantona said the current team are as strong as the teams of the past, despite not winning a trophy last season, and gave all the credit to Sir Alex Ferguson for keeping the team at the top.
"Last season United lost the league in the last minute," Cantona told Inside United. "Sometimes that happens, but they are still a top team and a top team in Europe.
"They are as strong as years before and it's great to see Ferguson create a new generation of players. He has spent over 25 years at the club and there have been so many generations. It's not only generations of players, but generations of people.
"I have said before that the manager is a great psychologist -- he is a great example because being a manager is about being a great psychologist.
"I think it's just as important to be a good psychologist as it is a tactician. Maybe more. And Ferguson is that."
