‘The Messi of the Balkans’ confirms move to Barcelona

Andy West 13:57 01/03/2014
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  • World at his feet: Halilovic is pushing for a place in Croatia’s World Cup squad.

    Croatian starlet Alen Halilovic has publicly announced his long-awaited move from Dinamo Zagreb to Barcelona.

    The 17-year-old, who has been dubbed ‘the Messi of the Balkans’ after becoming Dinamo’s youngest ever player at the age of 16, has been on the verge of putting pen to paper since the Spanish giants agreed a fee in the region of €5 million (Dh25.4m) with his current club, with Barca holding off the challenge of Manchester City to secure the youngster’s services.

    Although neither club has yet officially confirmed the deal, Halilovic gave the news with a short message on his Instagram account, saying: “Thanks Dinamo Zagreb for everything! My first club and biggest love! Now is time to move on to Barcelona.”

    Halilovic, who has already been capped at senior level by Croatia and is challenging for a place at the World Cup, is expected to stay with Dinamo for the rest of the season before initially joining Barca’s B team, where he will gain experience in the Segunda Division before stepping up to senior level a year later.

    In today’s La Liga action, a crucial relegation six-pointer sees Malaga manager Bernd Schuster fighting to save his job as his team hosts Real Valladolid.

    German legend Schuster replaced Manuel Pellegrini during the summer but has been powerless to prevent the Andalusians, who reached the Champions League quarter-finals last season, sliding down the table following the departure of several key players including Isco, Joaquin, Martin Demichelis and Javier Saviola.

    Malaga enter the weekend just three points ahead of third-bottom Valladolid, who have given their survival bid fresh hope by losing just one of their last five games.

    Schuster’s side have garnered just five points from their last nine outings, but veteran striker Roque Santa Cruz insists confidence remains high. “We are optimistic and believe we can win,” he said.

    Elsewhere in La Liga, Getafe will attempt to arrest their alarming slide towards the relegation zone as they host mid-table Espanyol.

    The Madrid-based team briefly climbed into the top four earlier in the season but have plummeted disastrously, collecting just three points from their last 10 games to leave themselves four points clear of the drop zone.

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