Mattias Svanberg comments on reports Manchester United have been scouting him

Add as preferred source on Google

Manchester United’s desire and need to add midfielders to the team has seen the club linked to several new faces over the past year.

One of the newer names reported to be on the club’s radar is Bologna midfielder Mattias Svanberg.

Calciomercato claimed United sent scouts to watch Svanberg in action earlier this month, and also reported he has been on Ralf Rangnick’s radar since the interim boss’ time at RB Leipzig.

A move for Svanberg would fit the Rangnick philosophy of moving for a talented young prospect available on the cheap, and these type of deals can be considered preferable to paying the £150 million asking price for Declan Rice.

Svanberg has one year remaining on his contract at Bologna after signing for the Italian club in 2018. He has gone onto make 110 Serie A appearances.

Currently the 23-year-old is on international duty with Victor Lindelof and Anthony Elanga with Sweden, where he has 17 caps to his name.

Svanberg was asked about United’s interest this week, reported by Swedish newspaper Expressen.

The midfielder responded: “That’s not something I think about so much. This has been the case for a large part of my career and this is the case for many other players as well. If you play in a provincial club in Italy and do well, there will be bigger clubs on your radar, but that does not mean that they will buy me or try to lure me there.”

Svanberg is more of a Scott McTominay type box to box midfielder than a defensive midfielder, and as such, not quite the profile of player United desperately need. This could prevent United from really pushing for him, and also cause the Swede to have second thoughts on a potential move, with the position crowded.

Asked what is important to him, Svanberg responded: “You always think you want to play. You have realised during the time you have been abroad that it does so much with you whether you get playing time or not. It affects how you feel privately and mentally, the whole bit. So ah, first priority is that you feel that the club believes in you and that they seem to want for you to play.”

This season Svanberg has played 28 Serie A games for Bologna, scoring three goals and providing two assists. He was a second half substitute in Sweden’s World Cup semi-final play-off win over Czech Republic last week.

He admits his future is uncertain, and knows it is also in his hands. To keep interest from clubs like United he knows he needs to keep on playing well.

“Right now I have no plan. I feel that I feel very good in Bologna and I have one year left on my contract so I am in no hurry. I take it as it comes. I enjoy playing a lot and there are great chances that I will stay, but of course you can possibly be sold. It depends on how I continue to perform.”