Leeds United are defying the odds and are currently on track to stay in the Premier League this season. Daniel Farke reacted well to coming under copious amounts of pressure, switching to a back three and adding defensive stability and a direct threat to his side.

They will be hoping to continue this form, which has seen them rise to 16th in the Premier League table. ESPN journalist Bill Connolly is one person they’re proving wrong, after he predicted them to finish 18th in the table and return to the Championship straight away.

To help maintain this run of form, it seems the Whites will make some moves in the January transfer window.

Leeds in talks to sign Serie A starlet

The Whites are clearly looking to add some creativity to their side in the coming weeks and months. One of the players linked with Elland Road is Fulham star Harry Wilson, who will be out of contract at the end of the season.

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Aside from Wilson, it is being reported by TuttoMercatoWeb that they are in the race to sign Como midfielder Martin Baturina. The report suggests they have already held talks, after making ‘inquiries’ about bringing the Croatian midfielder to West Yorkshire this winter.

The report says that ‘a possible departure is being considered’ by the Serie A outfit, with Baturian below Nico Paz in the pecking order.

It is currently unclear as to whether Cesc Fabregas’ side will sanction a loan move or allow him to leave permanently, but a fee of (€25m) £22m could be enough if the latter option is on the table.

How Baturina compares to Aaronson

At just 22 years of age and playing in Europe’s top five leagues for the first time in his career, Baturina is held in very high regard. Football scout Ben Mattinson even described him as “one of the elite talents in world football”, while lauding him as a “creative genius”.

A lot of his best work came for boyhood side Dinamo Zagreb, for whom he played 165 times. In total, the 15-cap Croatia international scored 22 goals and assisted 39, showing his talent in advanced midfield roles.

However, this campaign has certainly not been easy for the Como number 20. He’s not been in favour under Fabregas, struggling to displace the talented Paz from the first-choice side.

Baturina has only played 13 times and averages four full 90-minute games, with two goals and one assist to his name. He scored this stunning equaliser in Como’s most recent game.

If they are to get this deal over the line, Baturina could prove to be a huge upgrade on Brenden Aaronson.

Although Farke is a fan of the American, he is something of a Marmite player. Leeds legend Jon Newsome said last season that he isn’t “good enough to play in the Leeds United team.”

His numbers in the Premier League this season, on the face of things, are not too bad.

Aaronson has found the back of the net four times and has set up three other goals in 20 appearances.

Yet, the numbers suggest Baturina would be an upgrade in attack. For example, this season the Croatian youngster is averaging 1.94 key passes and 3.26 shot-creating actions per 90 minutes.

In comparison, Aaronson has chalked up an average of 1.38 key passes and 2.75 shot-creating actions each game.

Baturina & Aaronson key stats compared
Stat (per 90)	Baturina	Aaronson
Goals and assists	0.65	0.51
Key passes	1.94	1.38
Passes into final third	2.26	1.3
Shot-creating actions	3.26	2.75
Progressive carries	2.9	2.1
Stats from FBref

The Como star would certainly add more creativity in the final third than Aaronson, who can struggle for consistency at times. Baturina is also able to play deeper as a number eight, adding another string to his bow.

For a fee of just £22m, this could be a huge bargain for the Whites and see them improve their starting lineup with such a highly rated youngster.