Preparations for next season and a return to Europe's elite competitions are currently in full swing at Aston Villa, with Unai Emery and co already plotting ways to strengthen their hand before the new campaign begins.
The latest suggestion is that the Villans are closing in on a deal for Luton Town playmaker, Ross Barkley, with the Englishman in line for a return to the club after joining on loan from Chelsea for the 2020/21 campaign.
Speaking of the Blues, there have also been reports that Villa may seek to prise Conor Gallagher from Stamford Bridge this summer, with the west Londoners said to be open to a sale amid the need to comply with PSR regulations.
Midfield is, it would seem, a key priority for the club at present, with Emery also said to be keeping his eye on another exciting option to help bolster his ranks.
Aston Villa chasing former Man Utd trialist
According to the Mail Online, Villa are battling it out with Premier League rivals Arsenal and West Ham United for the signing of Hadjuk Split sensation, Rokas Pukstas, the trio having all scouted the 19-year-old in recent times.
As per the report, the Croatian outfit are 'expecting offers' for the United States U20 international, while the player himself – who was once on trial at Manchester United – is said to be keen to further his career elsewhere.
It would appear that Emery's side will face a fight to land the teenager, however, amid that interest from the Gunners and the Hammers, as well as a number of clubs across Europe.
Rokas Pukstas' style of play
A relative unknown talent, the Oklahoma-born gem – who was also once part of Barcelona's youth setup – has caught the eye amid his displays for Split of late, racking up 11 goals and four assists in 59 games in all competitions at first-team level.
That includes a haul of seven goals and one assist in 2023/24, having subsequently been lauded as the "future of the USA national team" by data analyst Ben Mattinson – who has also described him as "like James Milner" due to his remarkable versatility.
That likeness to the one-time Villa man has also been noted by talent scout Jacek Kulig, with the respected insider lauding Pukstas as a "Swiss army knife" due to his ability to operate all over the park, having lined up as a wing-back, as well as in defensive and attacking central midfield berths.
Such a comparison will no doubt be of interest to those of a Villa persuasion, with Milner having enjoyed two impressive stints at the club early on his career, initially joining on loan from Newcastle United for the 2005/06 campaign, prior to signing permanently in 2008.
Those spells saw the former England international chalk up a respectable return of 48 goals and assists in just 126 games in all competitions, having firmly "justified" his £12m price tag – as manager Martin O'Neil stated at the time.
Club
Games
Goals
Assists
Liverpool
332
26
46
Manchester City
203
19
39
Newcastle United
136
11
20
Aston Villa
126
22
26
Leeds United
53
5
1
Brighton and Hove Albion
20
0
2
Swindon Town
6
2
0
Total
876
85
134
While typically a winger during his time in the Midlands, the now-veteran asset has since shown his innate versatility amid spells at Manchester City, Liverpool and Brighton and Hove Albion, featuring in almost every conceivable outfield position – excluding centre-back.
It is easy then to see why young Pukstas has earned such comparisons due to his own suitability for a myriad of roles, with the hope being that he can follow in Milner's footsteps and dazzle in claret and blue.
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