The Emirates Stadium team is currently eyeing one of the most potential midfielders in European football.
The process of upgrading Arsenal’s squad this summer is not over yet, although they have invested more than 200 million euros in the service of 3 expensive rookies. Currently, it seems that the Gunners are temporarily ignoring the top stars and turning to the ‘jewels’ of world football, such as Martin Baturina.
The midfielder born in 2003 is currently being evaluated as the most promising talent of Croatian football. Baturina joined Hajduk Split and RNK Split’s academy respectively as a boy, before joining Dinamo Zagreb, Croatia’s biggest club, in 2017.
In Zagreb, Baturina quickly made great strides for himself, officially making his first team debut in 2021 and soon got a permanent place in the main squad. The 2022-23 season was a real breakthrough year for Baturina, he made a total of 48 appearances in all competitions, making a strong mark with 6 goals and 13 assists in the Croatian Super League.
Not only has he progressed “fast” at club level, Baturina is also a key factor at the youth levels of the Croatian team. Currently, midfielder on the Zagreb payroll is considered the most important link of the Croatia U21 team, he played a full 90 minutes in all matches at the U21 EURO in June. It can be said that Baturina’s official debut for the national team is only a matter of time.
According to Planet Football, Baturina is a versatile midfielder who mainly plays in an attacking role. He can also drift to the flanks at times, but Baturina tends to play in the middle as a playmaker. With 13 assists after 34 appearances in the domestic league, it is easy to affirm that creativity is Baturina’s best quality.
According to statistics from Planet Football, every 128 minutes of playing in the Croatian league last season, Baturina directly contributed to 1 Zagreb goal – an impressive achievement for a player who just turned 20 in February. Possessing great potential and extensive playing experience at the U21 age, it is easy to understand why Baturina was included in the target list by Arsenal. And of course, it’s not just the Gunners who are eyeing Zagreb’s “jewel”.
Recently, a series of clubs in Serie A and the Bundesliga are said to have put Baturina in the sights. It is expected that, not only facing a lot of potential competition, Arsenal also have to make an effort to convince Zagreb to sell his brightest talent. It should be known that Baturina’s contract with this team is still valid until 2028, so they have no reason to rush to sell the 20-year-old midfielder.
Currently, Transfermarkt is valuing Baturina at around 15 million euros. Considering Croatian players under the age of 21, Baturina’s value is only inferior to Luka Sucic (18 million euros) and Josko Gvardiol (75 million euros). However, as mentioned, Baturina’s contract is still very long, so Arsenal will certainly have to spend a significantly larger fee to convince Dinamo Zagreb.