Tottenham Hotspur have been told by a Croatian football expert that a national team midfielder has been “well prepared” to move to the north London club.
Spurs continue to be linked with some midfielders despite splashing £185million on two players in the position this summer. Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali have both joined and are expected to play together.
But more attack-minded midfielders such as Martin Baturina have also been linked with Roberto De Zerbi’s side.
Croatian football expert Daniela Rogulj has backed the 23-year-old to succeed if he heads to Tottenham.
She told Tottenham News: “On paper, it makes a lot of sense. [Roberto] De Zerbi likes his teams to build patiently and progress the ball through midfielders who can receive under pressure and turn defence into attack in one motion.
“His time under Cesc Fabregas at Como, another coach with a similar possession-based philosophy, should have prepared him well for that kind of system.
“The question isn’t really whether he fits De Zerbi’s style, because I think he clearly does, but it’s more about where he fits into that Tottenham midfield specifically, given the players already there and the money being spent elsewhere this summer.
“If Spurs are serious about building an attacking, possession-heavy side under De Zerbi, Baturina is the profile of player who could genuinely elevate that project.
“I wouldn’t rule out him succeeding elsewhere too, but the tactical alignment with De Zerbi is one of the stronger arguments for this move in particular.”
Want more breaking news and transfer lines from original sources? Add TEAMtalk as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for news you can trust.
Baturina price known
Spurs are not the only club linked with Baturina this summer, with Manchester United – who have also already signed some midfield stars – and Aston Villa among the others.
Como evidently don’t want to let their star go, though, and have reportedly set an €80million (£69m) price for him.
That comes after enquiries made by both Tottenham and Villa for the Croatian.
Whether or not Spurs would look to make a bid in that region remains to be seen.
They have already spent nearly £230million this summer, and are continuing to press on with more signings, with the move for Manchester City winger Savinho not believed to be far away.
As such, it might potentially be tough for them to finance a deal for Baturina.