Serbian Zoran ToÅ¡ić is set to leave FK Partizan in January and join global giant Manchester United after Sir Alex Ferguson personally advocated for the approval of the 21-year-old winger’s work permit.Â
“I was told that about 10 days ago that Manchester had sent a request for my work permit which is now granted,” ToÅ¡ić noted to the Serbian press recently. He added, “I know nothing more, or what will be the next steps, but I suppose that I have a few games left for Partizan.”
ToÅ¡ić, known as Bambi because of his slim build, can play on either wing. He has competed 12 times for his national team and was a member of Serbia’s 2008 Olympic squad. The winger has scored six league goals for Partizan this season.
Is there anyone else who could make the jump from Serbia this January or in the summer of 2009? Here are eight more Serbian players who have the potential:
8. Predrag Pavlović: The 22-year-old right midfielder/winger is a member of Serbia’s U-21 squad; he also competed at the 2008 Olympics. He has already been on trial with Dutch side NEC Nijmegen. Predrag plays for FK Napredak where he has been since 2004. He has two league goals this season.
7. NebojÅ¡a Marinković: The 22-year-old midfielder plays for FK ÄŒukariÄki Stankom after competing for several years at Partizan. Known for his powerful shot and scoring instincts from the midfield position, NebojÅ¡a scored more than 20 goals in over 60 league matches with Partizan. His 20-year-old brother, Nenad, still plays for the Belgrade club.
6. Marko Jovanović: The 20-year-old Partizan centre back teamed with Chelsea wunderkind Slobodan Rajkovic at the 2008 Olympics.  Having moved up the youth ranks, he is finally beginning to see first-team action with Partizan.
5. Nenad Tomović: The 21-year-old has been a mainstay at Red Star Belgrade since the back half of the 2007-08 campaign. One of Red Star’s brightest talents, the centre back should continue to factor at the Marakana until his moves to a larger league. He is a member of Serbia’s U-21 squad. Nenad also competed at the 2008 Olympics. He noted at the club’s website that one of his greatest wishes is to lead Crvena Zvezda to the UEFA Champions League.
4. Ivan Obradović: The 20-year-old left back has already been called up to the national side. He scored in Serbia’s 3-1 victory over Austria on October 15 in Group 7 qualifying action. He should continue to factor with the national team as Serbia attempts to qualify for the 2010 World Cup. Currently, Serbia is in first place with 9 points in the group. The defender has routinely been the first choice at left back since he was promoted from FK Partizan’s youth academy in 2007. He has started the majority of the club’s league matches this season.
3. Danijel Aleksić: The 17-year-old forward is one of the main reasons why FK Vojvodina sits in second place in the Serbian Superliga table. He paces the club with 4 goals this season. The youngster is also the captain of the Serbian U-17 team. Partizan and Red Star are both interested in the attacking player but Vojvodina has noted that they intend to keep Danijel on the club. He is the youngest player to ever appear in the Serbian Superliga having competed five days after his sixteenth birthday.
2. Ljubomir Fejsa: The 20-year-old central midfielder broke the Serbian transfer fee when Partizan spent 1.2 million euros to sign him away from FK Hajduk Kula. He has played in 12 league matches this season. An interesting note, Hajduk Kula will receive a large portion of Fejsa’s transfer fee if-and-when he moves from Partizan. Along with Zoran ToÅ¡ić, he was asked to return from the 2008 Olympics to help Partizan in the qualifying rounds of the UEFA Champions League.
1. Adem Ljajić: The 17-year-old is known in Serbia as Little Kaká due to creative abilities and flair on the pitch. Usually playing on the right or as an attacking midfielder, Adem has also been linked with a move to Manchester United. He was on trial with the club in October of 2008. He has played in eight league matches for Partizan this season scoring once. When he turns 18 next September, he just might end up with his fellow Serbians in Manchester.
Sean Grybos operates Soccer City FC where you can find commentary on leagues and clubs from around the globe.
Nice list, but I have to disapprove with some names. First of all, it is important to know that players in Serbian league won’t improve at all if they do not leave the league till the age of 21 (even that is too much).
Fejsa did not prove himself after he moved from Hajduk Kula to Partizan. He lost his place in Partizan starting eleven and is not fans favorite as well. Marinkovic is only 22, but already changed 5 or 6 clubs, and did not show anything. Pavlovic is in terrible position. He is playing for small club and he made big mistake cause he did not make a move during summer to some bigger league. All three of them have been much better 2 years ago, then they are now.
Jovanovic and Tomovic are solid players, but nothing more. Obradovic is pretty good offensively, but has serious problem to defend. He had excellent game against Austria, but he needs to show that every week, not once in 4 months.
On the positive side are two big prospects you have mentioned. Aleksic and Ljajic are both excellent players. Aleksic already signed for Arsenal, while first option for Ljajic as you already know was part of the Tosic deal and he will become Manchester United player during the next summer. Both of them are real talents, and I would be surprised if both of them fail to achieve big career.
From the players you missed, I would mention Dusan Tadic. He is a midfielder, playing for Vojvodina and Serbian U21. At the moment he is the best player of the second best team in the league and regular in U21 team.
Also, for all of you who are interested in Serbian players (after Tosic transfer there is a lot of question regarding Serbian prospects), it is important to know that almost all the good ones leave the country at an early stage, usually long before they even start playing in the Serbian League. For example, Sulejmani (currently at Ajax) signed for Herenven at age of 17, Gulan moved to Fiorentina, and many others are usually signing for some big names in Italy or Germany as soon as they get the offer and do not sign senior deal with their home team.
SoccerPie,
Thanks for the wonderful insight. Do you support Patrizan or Red Star? Some other club?
I have to disagree with you with Tomović and Fejsa, but that is the beauty of these lists. Different opinions are always expected and appreciated.
I would love to do a list on Serbia’s elite youngsters who are competing throughout Europe.
Cheers.
I am a big fan of my hometown club Radnicki Kragujevac, but at the moment we are competing in Serbian Third league so you probably did not even heard for the club. The main problem of Serbian football is that big clubs (Red Star and Partizan) are killing all the clubs that are not on their payroll. They are taking all the talented kids from all over the state at the age of 14 (even younger), without any payment, and then have around 100 players signed for their club which leaves other teams without any quality. At the same time, those kids do not play any first team football and end career without any proper chance. For example, Tomovic started career at my club, as well as Predrag Djordjevic (Olympiakos legend) and Danko Lazovic (PSV), but all of them have been taken by Belgrade clubs before they even started to play for the first team.
If you are considering making the list of our youngsters in Europe, start with Kacar (Hertha), Sulejmani (Ajax), Gulan and Kuzmanovic(Fiorentina), Rajkovic (PSV), Krsticic (Sampdoria), Smiljanic (Espanyol), Tosic (I guess he will end up at Manchester United)…those are U21 and will be able to compete at EURO U21 next year.
Why cannort English teams look for talent within the British Isles???
I guess there is a few reasons for that. First of all it is big question if those talents are at the level you need for the best league in the world. I am trying to think of some big success, England youth teams achieved in last 10 or so years at Euro or World competitions. Also, foreigners are cheaper. Look at Ramsey for example. He is 16 years old and sold for 5M pounds. Don’t get me wrong, he is maybe talented and maybe the best player in the world in that generation, but if he was croatian or even italian at that age, he would cost no more then 500k.
@Soccerlens: If you are going to make The Scout a regular on your site, it would be a great idea. anyways a nice list. Also, break the lists into under-21s, under-19s. It would help.
Another player to watch is Pejcinovic, quite similar to Nemo Vidic.