Martin Baturina: Everything you need to know about £69m-rated Aston Villa target as bid submitted
Martin Baturina is reportedly the subject of an Aston Villa bid worth between £43million and £47m.
Reports in Italy claim that the Villans' bid has been knocked back, with Como slapping a £69m price tag on the winger.
Baturina, 23, has scored eight goals and provided four assists across all competitions this season, playing part in the extraordinary achievement that has seen Como qualify for the Champions League.
Villa's desire to sign a left-winger in the mould of Morgan Rogers is well reported, with the England international heavily linked with a move away this summer.
Transfer chiefs at Villa Park have also registered their interest in Matias Soule at Roma, although he is more prone to the right wing.
Who is Martin Baturina?
Villa will retain hope of keeping Rogers this summer, but the 23-year-old looks to be edging towards the exit door.
Arsenal are reportedly leading the race, and the Premier League champions look to be ready to pay the asking price.
Any potential move will likely need to wait for the World Cup to finish, with Rogers undoubtedly to have had the likes of Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice in his ear all summer before he returns.
On paper, Baturina is a similar type of player. Like Rogers, the Croatia international shifts between the left wing and the centre of the midfield, even occupying the striker position at times.
Largely reduced to appearances off the bench until January, Baturina broke through with a flurry, registering six direct goal contributions in the space of four matches.
Born in Zurich, the 23-year-old began his career at Hajduk Split before moving to Dinamo Zagreb's academy and Como last summer.
Gazzette dello Sport reports this week that Villa have made a bid for the forward, who is valued at £69m by Como.
What Cesc Fabregas has said on Baturina
Interestingly, Rogers and Baturina may find themselves facing off in just over a week.
The Como man has travelled to the World Cup with Croatia, and will line up against England in both nations' opening game in Florida next Wednesday.
Villa transfer chiefs may well be watching on to take a closer look at how Baturina does, but they already have high praise from elsewhere.
Former Arsenal and Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas is the Como manager who has been overseeing the winger's development.
"He has great quality," he said of Baturina in January. "You have to find the right moment in the right context.
"We need time, but he knows how to move intelligently; he understands how we work. I'm very happy for him and for the team; we need this kind of player."