‘He’s the one they’re talking about’: Real Madrid star Luka Modric finally revealed the name of his £30M international teammate that wants to join Arsenal in the summer
Arsenal are tracking talented Dinamo Zagreb midfielder Martin Baturina, who has been hailed as the “next Luka Modric”.
Sources have told The Gooner that Mikel Arteta is a keen admirer of the 20-year-old, and sees him as the perfect cover for Granit Xhaka, who has excelled in a more advanced midfield role this season.
Arsenal have been monitoring the youngster closely in recent months, and were left impressed by a performance against Hadjuk Split that saw him score one and assist another in a 4-0 win.
It is understood the Gunners are also keen to bring in Baturina to add youth to their midfield, with Xhaka, Thomas Partey, Jorginho and Mohamed Elneny all in or approaching their 30s.
Having joined hometown club Hadjuk Split as a youngster, the midfielder made the move to Dinamo Zagreb in 2017, before making his first-team debut in 2021.
He has quickly become a regular with the Croatian giants, making 39 appearances across all competitions this season – including five in the Champions League – scoring five goals and assisting a further seven.
His vision, passing and elegant play in the final third have earned him comparisons to Real Madrid star Luka Modric, who also played for Zagreb before joining Arsenal’s north London rivals Tottenham.
The Gunners will be hoping they are successful in their efforts to sign Baturina, having missed out on Modric a number of times during Arsene Wenger’s reign.
Our source has intimated that Zagreb are likely to demand around £15m or the talented midfielder, a price well within Arsenal’s means.
Zagreb have a reputation for developing some of European football’s best talents, including Modric, World Cup team of the tournament defender Josko Gvardiol, and Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic.
