Martin Baturina just proved he's the perfect signing for Aston Villa as World Cup debut stats emerge

Aston Villa target Martin Baturina made his World Cup entrance with a brilliant goal as Croatia lost 4-2 to England on Wednesday.

The 23-year-old's superb strike levelled the scores after Harry Kane's early penalty, and Croatia equalised again through Petar Musa after the England captain scored his second.

Goals from Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford in the second half would see the game fall away from Zlatko Dalic's side, who will hope to beat Ghana and Panama to reach the round of 32.

Baturina has caught the eye of several teams across Europe this season for Como, reportedly including Villa.

The Europa League winners will be unlikely to pay the reported £69million the Serie A side are looking for as it stands, but the sale of Morgan Rogers could change things.

The Englishman is attracting significant interest this summer and could be sold after the World Cup.

Martin Baturina impresses vs England

Baturina arrived at Como last summer from Dinamo Zagreb, joining in a £15.6m deal and signing a contract until 2030.

The winger was a known talent in Croatia, having debuted on the international stage in 2023 but was untested in a top five league.

After struggling to get in Cesc Fabregas' team in the first half of the season, January saw Baturina explode into life.

The 23-year-old scored three goals and provided three assists in just four games, ultimately ending the season with eight and four across all competitions.

Villa were already rumoured to have been watching the forward, but they will be looking more intently after Wednesday's game.

Baturina's goal was superb - a first-time strike from just outside the box that burst beyond Jordan Pickford and into the top corner - and his all-round game was brilliant, too.

The Croatian created a chance, completed a dribble, made three recoveries, won two free-kicks and won six duels on the night.

Why Baturina may be Aston Villa's dream Morgan Rogers replacement

Like Rogers, Baturina has featured both on the left of the attack and at the head of the midfield, even playing up front at times.

The 23-year-old is stocky and strong but technically superb, capable of carrying the ball forward and striking with venom.

Villa chiefs are insistent that Rogers will not leave the club this summer, yet the talk of interest elsewhere is growing in volume.

Should the midfielder have to be replaced, a move for Baturina would appear to be a favoured option at Villa Park.