Swedish striker Jesper Karlsson flattered by Manchester United interest

Swedish striker Jesper Karlsson has admitted to being flattered by reported interest from Manchester United. The 18-year-old star has enjoyed a stellar start to his senior career with Falkenbergs, scoring eight goals in 27 appearances this season – and has subsequently been linked with a move to Old Trafford.

The highly-rated teenager has confessed it is "fun" to be linked with a club of United's size. He insisted, though, that his immediate priority is playing well and scoring goals for his current club.

"Of course it's fun, but I cannot do anything more than just go out, do my best and perform. If they check and they think I'm good, that's just a plus," he said of United's reported interest in his services, according to the Swedish daily Aftonbladet.

Meanwhile, Hakan Nilsson, the club's director of football, has remained tight-lipped about United's apparent interest in the highly-rated young striker. But he admitted the Old Trafford club may be among those sides who are monitoring Karlsson's progress in Sweden's top flight.

"It's a possibility they [United] have expressed an interest. Just like a number of other major clubs," Nilsson explained.

United already have one Swedish striker on their books in the shape of Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The record-breaking star joined the Red Devils over the summer and previously hailed United as the most prestigious club he has played for.

Ibrahimovic, 34, played for Ajax, Inter Milan, Juventus, AC Milan and Barcelona, among others, earlier in his career. But the burly centre-forward thinks United is probably the biggest club he has represented. "Perhaps it is the biggest club I've played at. The only one I can compare it to is Milan," he said at the start of the current campaign, according to ESPN.