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News
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Man Utd, Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs track €23m rising star Aleksandar Stankovic
Robin Bairner
- 13 Feb 2026 10:35 GMT
- 4 min read
Analysis
Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham are all interested in signing Club Brugge midfielder Aleksandar Stankovic – a player who has been tipped by his legendary father for great things.
Stankovic, the son of Inter Milan legend Dejan, was signed by Club Brugge last summer in a €9.5 million deal, but his stay in Belgium is set to be short.
The Premier League’s top clubs are hovering in anticipation of the 20-year-old departing in the summer.
Current ETV
Aleksandar Stanković
DM, M (C)
Brugge
Aleksandar Stanković
DM, M (C)
Brugge
ETV Range
€16.9M - €20.6M
Aleksandar Stankovic: The hype
At just 20 years old, Stankovic is already regarded as one of the best midfielders in Belgium, catching the eye both domestically and in the Champions League.
Brugge took something of a gamble to pay Inter €9.5m for the player in July, and it is richly paying off. He has contributed seven goals and four assists across all competitions and produced a breakout Champions League performance in a 3-0 win over Marseille that guided Ivan Leko’s side through to the knockout stages.
“If he continues at this pace, he'll become a serious player. I don't know yet where he'll play. And what advice should I give him, given that he might be a better player than me at that age?” Dejan, a European Cup-winning midfielder with Inter, mused.
“His performances with Luzern and at Club Brugge have been phenomenal. He's getting better with every match. But the pressure on him is high now; we'll see how he reacts to that.”
Interest, unsurprisingly, has rapidly followed. Man Utd, Chelsea, Arsenal and Spurs are all tracking the player, according to CaughtOffside.
A defensive midfielder who can do it all
Stankovic, whose Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) has grown to €18.7m, is primarily a defensive midfielder, but he brings a little of everything to his game, as illustrated by his strong goal contributions for Brugge this season.
Indeed, despite occupying a deep-lying role, he outperforms the average Jupiler League midfield in virtually every statistical category.
His overall performance places him easily among the best-performing players in his role, while breaking this down further shows his technical qualities.
The Milan-born youngster is highly adept in terms of passing and dribbling, while he possesses strong tactical intelligence, particularly defensively.
He also boasts important attributes for the modern game, so much of which is played in transition. His disruption of opposing attacks is strong, and his control of counterattacks is also impressive.
What’s next for Stankovic?
A summer transfer is looking inevitable at this stage of his career, yet a step up to one of those Premier League big guns interested in him – Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea or Tottenham – may not be the optimal decision at this point in his career.
Man Utd do offer him a decent option, according to SciSports’ Career Advice tool. The Red Devils get a strong Club Fit score of 74 based upon a variety of factors, including potential development, playing time, style and formation; the higher the score, the greater the chances of the move being a success.
Chelsea (70), Tottenham (68) and Arsenal (68) all lag behind the Old Trafford club.
One of the reasons for this is that Stankovic has the potential to develop into a key player at Man Utd. With the Red Devils seeking new faces in their midfield, he is a logical candidate for the task.
Inter’s buyback clause changes everything
But the Premier League teams are set to be disappointed.
Inter have a buyback clause of €23m that they look increasingly likely to exercise, according to Belgian media.
And it’s an idea that Stankovic has already flirted with.
“It's my dream to return to Inter,” he told Sky Sports Italia.
“I'm an Inter fan and I love the club. It will happen one day… Although I don't know exactly when it will be.”
Stankovic’s dream might be returning to Italy to play with Inter, where his father played nine years, but only time will tell if he is also able to resist the glamour of the Premier League and forge a similar legendary career at San Siro.
