Croatia has just leveled the score against England with a jaw-dropping screamer from Martin Baturina, a player reportedly on the radar of Tottenham and Aston Villa.
England initially took the lead early in the match when Harry Kane converted a penalty. The spot-kick was awarded after Luka Modric fouled Noni Madueke in the box. While Kane's first attempt was saved, the referee granted him a second chance as the goalkeeper had encroached off his line, and the England captain made no mistake the second time around.
However, Croatia quickly responded. Baturina, who has been linked with a move to the Premier League, unleashed a thunderous strike from outside the penalty area that rocketed into the top left corner of the net. Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford managed to get a hand to it, but the sheer power of the shot was too much to keep out. The goal can be seen in a clip shared by ITV Football on X (formerly Twitter).
This spectacular performance on the international stage comes amidst significant transfer speculation surrounding Baturina's future. Reports suggest that both Tottenham and Aston Villa have submitted bids of around €50 million for the Como star, aiming to lure him from Serie A this summer.
Portuguese journalist Pedro Almeida reported Tottenham's offer, while Italian outlet Gazzetta dello Sport, via Sport Witness, indicated Aston Villa's bid falls within the €50-€55 million range. Leeds United has also been mentioned as a potential suitor in the past. The potential addition of Baturina would undoubtedly strengthen the midfield for any interested Premier League club looking to enhance their squad for the upcoming season.
