Manchester United is considering paying €50 million for a player it could have bought for €1.8 million just 8 weeks ago
- Premier League club Manchester United had been linked with a €50 million ($58.5 million) bid for Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder Ante Rebić.
- Had United acted eight weeks ago, it could have bought the player for cheaper - for €1.8 million, to be exact.
- But Rebić enjoyed a good World Cup alongside his Croatia teammates, and his transfer value has skyrocketed as a result.
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Manchester United is considering paying €50 million ($58.5 million) for Ante Rebić - a player the club could have signed for €1.8 million ($2.1 million) just eight weeks ago.
Rebić is a versatile midfielder who can play on the left, on the right, and through the middle. He is good with the ball at his feet, can brag a trick or two, and was responsible for scoring or creating one goal for every 220 minutes he played in the Bundesliga - Germany's top soccer league - last season.
Goal.com's Bundesliga expert Ronan Murphy reported on United's interest on Wednesday. He tweeted: "United has contacted Ante Rebić's agent about a possible transfer… Frankfurt is looking for €50 million."
Football365 journalist Daniel Storey noted how the player was available for €1.8 million earlier in the year.
Why has Rebić suddenly shot up in value?
Rebić joined Bundesliga club Eintracht Frankfurt on a permanent basis earlier this summer, after a successful two-year loan spell from Serie A team Fiorentina.
The 24-year-old winger had performed relatively well during his loan, scoring eight goals in 49 games in all competitions for Frankfurt over the past two years. His form attracted the attention of the Croatia national team as Rebić featured heavily in his country's run to the 2018 FIFA World Cup final on July 15.
Rebić may not be a World Cup winner as Croatia ultimately lost 4-2 to France but, regardless, his transfer value has swollen by an incredible 2,677% - and it can only be because of his new-found prominence in international soccer.
Rebić scored one goal, recorded 19 dribbles, and attracted 21 fouls from six World Cup appearances for Croatia over the past couple months and was one of his country's standout performers alongside Mario Mandžukić, Luka Modrić, and Ivan Rakitić.
He is contracted at Frankfurt until 2021, according to transfermarkt.co.uk.