Wearsiders hot on the trail of Swedish teens

Nov 6 2011 by James Hunter, Sunday Sun

SUNDERLAND are hot on the trail of two highly-rated Swedish teens.

Forward Robert Mirosavic and midfielder Linus Sjoberg fly home today after a week training on Wearside.

And the Black Cats are now weighing up deals to bring the pair to England on a permanent basis.

Sweden Under 17 skipper Mirosavic is regarded as a future star in his homeland, scoring 52 goals in 45 games for his club Helsingborgs’ youth sides last season.

Arsenal were keen to sign the 16-year-old earlier this year but were scared off by the £450,000 price-tag, while Manchester City ran the rule over him in the summer. Spanish giants Real Madrid and German big-hitters Bayern Munich have also monitored his situation but the youngster would stand a far better chance of breaking into the first team at Sunderland.

Helsingborg are ready to drop their asking price because Mirosavic will leave when his contract expires at the end of the season and they would then receive only around £200,000 in compensation when he signs for another club.

Sjoberg made a big impression during a fortnight’s trial at Manchester United two years ago but the 17-year-old has so far stayed with Swedish side Vasteras, where he has graduated to the first team and scored three goals in 31 games.

Vasteras were relegated from the Swedish second division last season and are ready to cash in on the right-sider, who has represented Sweden at Under 18 level and would cost around £150,000.

A source in Sweden told the Sunday Sun: “Robert is an excellent prospect and a lot of clubs have shown interest in him.

“He plays as a second striker and is very similar in style to Spurs’ Dutch international Rafael van der Vaart, with the way he links the midfield and attack.

“Linus is similar to Sunderland’s own Seb Larsson. He plays out wide, has very quick feet and can deliver quality crosses.”