In Croatia, the interest of Inter in Branimir Mlacic, the 18-year-old central defender from Hajduk Split who is making a name for himself in the Croatian league, continues to be a hot topic. Izak Ante Sucic, reporter for Germanijak.hr, gave an update on the situation to Tribuna.com, focusing both on the player’s characteristics and the state of the negotiations.
“Branimir is a young and talented player who needs a lot of minutes and experience before becoming the player many think he can be. At the moment, he is among the top three Under 20 players in Croatia,” explained Sucic. The defender is skilled with the ball, has good height but still needs to build up physically. “He is very good at reading the game and intercepting, but he can still improve in almost every aspect,” added the journalist.
From a tactical point of view, Mlačić performs best as a right central defender, both in a three-man and four-man defense. Speed is not his greatest strength, but he is not slow either. As for his immediate future, Sucic was quite clear: “Branimir is not ready for Inter’s first team, but it makes no sense to play him in the Primavera.” The ideal solution according to the journalist? A path similar to Vuskovic with Tottenham: buy him immediately, but let him stay initially at Hajduk and then arrange targeted loans for his development.
On the negotiation front, Sucic was optimistic: “As for the agreement, I would say the deal is 80% done.” The player would be in favor of the transfer and the Croatian club is open to the sale. The representatives of Mlacic and Hajduk were in Milan last week and are expected to return in the coming days. The Split club is asking for a percentage on a future resale and a top-tier bonus, while Inter and Hajduk continue to negotiate the final amount.
