Barcelona are on the hunt for defensive reinforcements this winter, and have stopped to take a look at one of Croatia’s emerging talents. The Blaugrana have done plenty of scouting in Croatia in recent years, and the latest talent on their radar is Branimir Mlacic.

According to Matteo Moretto on RadioMarca, Barcelona have made an enquiry for Mlacic. They consider him to be a interesting option due to the profile of player he is, and the potential he has to develop. The 18-year-old central defender has become a starter this season for Hajduk Split, playing every minute of their last 10 league matches.

🚨 JUST IN: Dani Olmo hasn’t trained with the squad, but he’s expected to be included in the lineup for the match against RCD Espanyol. [@monfortcarlos] 🇪🇸

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Inter and Borussia Dortmund competing for signature

However Mlacic is also attracting interest from other European giants, and Barcelona will face competition if they do decide to move for him. Moretto goes on to say that both Inter and Borussia Dortmund are closely following his progress too. For the Blaugrana, it may well be that a move is more likely in the summer two, as Barcelona are dividing their efforts into signings that could be made in the winter window, and those best-saved for the summer.

Barcelona’s scouting efforts in Croatia

Mlacic is not the first talent to attract Barcelona’s attention in Croatia. In the cases of Mikayil Faye and Cardoso Varela, both players were on their radar before moving to Croatia, where they joined Kustosija and Dinamo Zagreb respectively. The Catalan giants have been heavily linked with a move for the Portuguese winger next summer.

This past summer, Barcelona struck a deal to bring in midfielder Lovro Chelfi from Kustosija too, while of late they have been linked to Tottenham Hotspur defender Luka Vuskovic. He impressed at Hajduk first too, before sealing a move to Spurs, and subsequently Hamburg, where he is performing in the Bundesliga, and is again on Barcelona’s radar.