Manchester City step up interest in “Croatian Lionel Messi”

Manchester City lead the race to sign Dinamo Zagreb midfielder Mateo Kovacic, who has been dubbed the “Croatian Lionel Messi”.

City chiefs are reported to met representatives of Kovacic on Tuesday, who has also been linked with Premier League rivals Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester United.

Danger man: Dinamo Zagreb”s Mateo Kovacic (left)

The 17-year-old broke into the Dinamo first team last year and has won two caps for the Croatia Under-21s.