Centre-ForwardCroatia23 years oldPlays for SC Freiburg
Photo: Bryan Berlin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; resized and cropped.
Igor Matanović is a Croatian centre-forward born on 31 March 2003. He plays for SC Freiburg. The start to the Bundesliga campaign has been strong, four goals in four league matches including a strike against Werder Bremen. That run has triggered Premier League speculation while he publicly says he remains focused on his current side.
He is a 194 cm right-footed striker with a towering build (6ft 5in in press reports). Public reporting describes him as a big frontman in blistering scoring form over the past year. Matanović himself credits mental clarity rather than only physical preparation, saying football is more mental and that not overthinking helps things happen.
He came through the St. Pauli academy after joining from Harburger TB Jugend in January 2010, reaching the senior squad in January 2021. Eintracht Frankfurt bought him in August 2021 for €1.8m, he returned to St. Pauli the same month, rejoined Frankfurt in June 2023, moved to Karlsruher SC in August 2023, went back to Frankfurt in June 2024, and joined SC Freiburg in September 2025 for €6.7m. He is now playing under Julian Schuster and has made an immediate impact in the league.
Manchester United and Tottenham have been linked with a move for the striker, with United reportedly seeking attacking reinforcements. Matanović told reporters there has been absolutely no contact from his side and that he is currently at his current side.
CaughtOffside reported on 3 Oct that Manchester United are discussing a move for Freiburg striker Igor Matanovic internally, with Arsenal and Chelsea also monitoring him; the outlet puts Freiburg’s asking price at…
TEAMtalk reports that Manchester United, Aston Villa, Coventry City, Fulham, Arsenal, and Chelsea are on a growing list of clubs checking on Igor Matanović.
Igor Matanovic, SC Freiburg's centre-forward, is attracting interest from Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea.
Multiple outlets report growing interest from Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal in Croatian centre-forward Igor Matanovic, whose contract at SC Freiburg runs to 2029. The player is open to moving to England if…