Man United join Chelsea and Tottenham in race for Fiorentina ace

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Manchester United are the latest Premier League heavyweight linked with a move for Fiorentina star Milan Badelj.

The midfielder has been a regular for La Violas for the past two seasons, but his contract expires next summer.

And that leaves the Serie A side with the difficult decision of choosing to cash in on the Croatian this summer or risk losing him for nothing 12 months down the line.

The defensive midfielder would be an ideal successor for Michael Carrick at Old Trafford, while the 27-year-old would provide cover at Chelsea for Nemanja Matic and N’Golo Kante.

Similarly, Badelj would offer Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino some extra strength in depth, particularly with the future of Moussa Sissoko far from certain.

The Zagreb-native began his career in his homeland, with local giants Dinamo Zagreb, and became the natural successor to Luka Modric, who moved to Spurs in 2008.

A series of impressive performances drew the attention of a number of European clubs, and Badelj moves to Bundesliga outfit Hamburg in 2012.

The step up in quality proved no obstacle for the midfield dynamo, who quickly became a regular for Der Dino.

And after two seasons in Germany, Fiorentina c ame calling in 2014 with an offer in the region of £4.5m.

Chelsea and Tottenham have been linked with Badelj for some time, but reports this week claim Man United have recently sent scouts to Florence too.

The 27-year-old has made 22 appearances for the Serie A side this season, scoring twice while providing three assists.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing

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