Mar 30, 2015 09:00:00
By Joe Wright and Dino Florentini
Hajduk Split's most talented young star has been compared to some of the finest midfielders of the past 30 years and scored at the age of 17 against eternal rivals Dinamo Zagreb. And that's not even the most remarkable thing about him.
Croatia youth international Andrija Balic may not be a household name but some of the continent's biggest sides have been casting green-eyed glances in his direction. Ajax, Borussia Dortmund and Marseille have all scouted the midfielder; Tottenham opened talks with his club. Recently, Real Madrid have been touted as a likely destination.
And yet, fresh from signing a contract extension until 2018, Balic is content to look no further than the walls of Poljud stadium.
"I knew something, but not too much," he told Goal of Tottenham's enquiries last summer. "Not as much as people within the club did. I didn't let it bother me.
"Certainly I would've been sorry had I gone, especially now. Who knew I'd score five goals and become a regular?
"I have a new contract, I'm glad Hajduk believe in me. I'd like to stay while I'm still growing as a player, and then, we'll see."
Balic's view is refreshingly level-headed. The support from his parents, who were present for his contract signing, is key.
"From day one, we knew staying at Hajduk was the right decision," his father told the club's website. "When we had an offer from Tottenham, my wife and I did not want it because we knew it was too early for such a challenge. Our goal is not money, but the development of our boy."
Croatia's brightest young talents are rarely confined to the domestic top flight for long. Alen Halilovic joined Barcelona B having been fast-tracked into Dinamo's first team, while Mario Pasalic left Hajduk for Chelsea before becoming yet another name on their loan list. Developing at Hajduk could be the best move for Balic - provided that the seductive foreign giants can be ignored.
Balic is considered by some in Croatia to be Hajduk's best talent in 20 years. His attributes are atypical of the modern midfielder: tall, strong and balanced, yet blessed with a remarkable skillset. To watch him kill the ball under pressure, pivot away from a challenge and surge up field in support of the attack evokes memories of Blaz Sliskovic, the 'Balkan Maradona' who lit up the Hajduk and Marseille sides of the 1980s. His recent precision finish against Dinamo only reinforced the comparisons.
Sliskovic was also the idol of Zinedine Zidane, the greatest modern midfielder of all and current head coach of Real Madrid Castilla. They are now favourites to land Balic's signature.
The European champions were credited with interest during Tottenham's talks last summer and speculation has surfaced in Spain and Croatia that they are firming up their intentions this year. Spurs, having restructured a recruitment system previously headed by Franco Baldini, are less likely to prove a serious candidate in 2015. What's more, Madrid's foreign recruitment efforts, with Juni Calafat the driving force, have beaten stiff competition in the race for Martin Odegaard and Lucas Silva in the past four months.
For the time being, however, Balic's thoughts of European giants remain rooted in fandom. His idol is a Barcelona star, his ideal club a Premier League challenger.
"I love Iniesta's style of play, he fascinates me," he admits. "Spain, England and Germany are perhaps the strongest leagues. They asked me what club in England I'd want to go to, so I said Liverpool."
But he's in no rush. Indeed, his immediate wish is much closer to home.
"To win the title with Hajduk. That's the dream," he says.
Given Hajduk are fourth and 29 points off the top, he revises things for this season: "Certainly Europe is the goal, but the first objective is the cup. We want to win it.
"I want to keep developing. I want to reach a great level. I hope to succeed."
Balic's drive is unequivocal, his talent captivating. What's remarkable, though, is that the balance and confidence he oozes when on the ball is reflected by his composure in discussing his future. Little wonder there is talk of a place in Zidane's set-up as the next Galactico in the making.
EXCLUSIVE: One of Croatia's most exciting young talents has European giants tracking his steps but he is surveying his future with a cool head
Hajduk Split's most talented young star has been compared to some of the finest midfielders of the past 30 years and scored at the age of 17 against eternal rivals Dinamo Zagreb. And that's not even the most remarkable thing about him.
Croatia youth international Andrija Balic may not be a household name but some of the continent's biggest sides have been casting green-eyed glances in his direction. Ajax, Borussia Dortmund and Marseille have all scouted the midfielder; Tottenham opened talks with his club. Recently, Real Madrid have been touted as a likely destination.
And yet, fresh from signing a contract extension until 2018, Balic is content to look no further than the walls of Poljud stadium.
"I knew something, but not too much," he told Goal of Tottenham's enquiries last summer. "Not as much as people within the club did. I didn't let it bother me.
"Certainly I would've been sorry had I gone, especially now. Who knew I'd score five goals and become a regular?
"I have a new contract, I'm glad Hajduk believe in me. I'd like to stay while I'm still growing as a player, and then, we'll see."
Balic's view is refreshingly level-headed. The support from his parents, who were present for his contract signing, is key.
"From day one, we knew staying at Hajduk was the right decision," his father told the club's website. "When we had an offer from Tottenham, my wife and I did not want it because we knew it was too early for such a challenge. Our goal is not money, but the development of our boy."
Croatia's brightest young talents are rarely confined to the domestic top flight for long. Alen Halilovic joined Barcelona B having been fast-tracked into Dinamo's first team, while Mario Pasalic left Hajduk for Chelsea before becoming yet another name on their loan list. Developing at Hajduk could be the best move for Balic - provided that the seductive foreign giants can be ignored.
Balic is considered by some in Croatia to be Hajduk's best talent in 20 years. His attributes are atypical of the modern midfielder: tall, strong and balanced, yet blessed with a remarkable skillset. To watch him kill the ball under pressure, pivot away from a challenge and surge up field in support of the attack evokes memories of Blaz Sliskovic, the 'Balkan Maradona' who lit up the Hajduk and Marseille sides of the 1980s. His recent precision finish against Dinamo only reinforced the comparisons.
Sliskovic was also the idol of Zinedine Zidane, the greatest modern midfielder of all and current head coach of Real Madrid Castilla. They are now favourites to land Balic's signature.
The European champions were credited with interest during Tottenham's talks last summer and speculation has surfaced in Spain and Croatia that they are firming up their intentions this year. Spurs, having restructured a recruitment system previously headed by Franco Baldini, are less likely to prove a serious candidate in 2015. What's more, Madrid's foreign recruitment efforts, with Juni Calafat the driving force, have beaten stiff competition in the race for Martin Odegaard and Lucas Silva in the past four months.
For the time being, however, Balic's thoughts of European giants remain rooted in fandom. His idol is a Barcelona star, his ideal club a Premier League challenger.
"I love Iniesta's style of play, he fascinates me," he admits. "Spain, England and Germany are perhaps the strongest leagues. They asked me what club in England I'd want to go to, so I said Liverpool."
But he's in no rush. Indeed, his immediate wish is much closer to home.
"To win the title with Hajduk. That's the dream," he says.
Given Hajduk are fourth and 29 points off the top, he revises things for this season: "Certainly Europe is the goal, but the first objective is the cup. We want to win it.
"I want to keep developing. I want to reach a great level. I hope to succeed."
Balic's drive is unequivocal, his talent captivating. What's remarkable, though, is that the balance and confidence he oozes when on the ball is reflected by his composure in discussing his future. Little wonder there is talk of a place in Zidane's set-up as the next Galactico in the making.
