Arsenal are monitoring Dinamo Zagreb midfielder Martin Baturina ahead of a possible move, according to Daily Express.
The newspaper claims that the Gunners sent scouts to watch the 20-year-old on several occasions last season as well as at the UEFA U-21 European Championships in Romania and Georgia this summer. Croatia failed to progress to the quarter-finals but Baturina still managed to catch the eye.
The youngster is attracting interest from several clubs following his outstanding performances for Zagreb last season. Baturina is compared with Real Madrid star Luka Modric due to his style to play, and featured in 48 games, scored six goals and provided 13 assists across all competitions.
The attacking midfielder helped his side clinch the Croatian Football League last term. He moved to Zagreb from RNK Split in 2021 and has gone on to rack up 68 appearances, netted eight times, and provided 18 assists in the process.
Baturina has represented Croatia at all youth levels from the U-15 through to U-21. He has made a 19 appearances and scored once for the youth sides, and will now be hoping to get his first call-up to the senior team.
The youngster recently signed a new deal in April, therefore Dinamo Zagreb are under no pressure to sell and would look to secure a sizeable fee from interested clubs such as Arsenal.
According to the Express, Zagreb would want at least £10m to cash-in on the midfielder and that sort of figure shouldn’t deter a club with the financial resources available at Arsenal.
Future reinforcement
Arsenal have been one of the busiest sides in the transfer market as they look to bolster their squad for next season. The North Londoners have already spent £208m on three new signings including Kai Havertz, Jurrien Timber, and Declan Rice.
Mikel Arteta’s side are still in the market to add more players to their squad with the likes of Thomas Partey expected to leave before the window closes in September. Romeo Lavia is believed to be on Arsenal’s radar following the signing of Rice last week.
The 19-year-old has been linked with a move to Liverpool and Chelsea, therefore Arsenal will face stiff competition for the Southampton youngster’s signature this summer.
Arsenal may well switch attention to other transfer targets, however, the Express says any move for Baturina won’t happen this summer. Instead, the Gunners are expected to continue monitoring his progress over the coming season.
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