Birmingham City are close to the capture of Croatian midfielder Alen Halilovic, according to Croatian newspaper Sportske Novosti.

It hasn't been long since the Blues were linked with bringing in Brazilian international Alexandre Pato, who was once smashing in goals at the highest level.

And whilst Halilovic hasn't exactly hit the heights of Pato, he has been signed by both Barcelona and A.C. Milan in the past, and at the age of 24, still has the time to grow into a star player.

Halilovic broke into the Dinamo Zagreb first team at just 16 years of age, and his performances there secured him his move to Barcelona in 2014.

The Croatian joined their B team before going to Sporting Gijon on loan, and then signing for German side Hamburg permanently.

A loan move back to Spain to Las Palmas followed before another permanent switch, this time to the red side of Milan, and has most recently had loan spells at Standard Liege and Heerenveen.

According to Sportske Novosti, Halilovic was previously linked with Brazilian club Vasco da Gama and Hajduk Split in his home nation, but he is now apparently 'one step away' from joining fellow Croat Ivan Sunjic at St. Andrews.

And to add further fuel to the fire, it seems as though judging from his most recent followed accounts on Instagram, Halilovic could soon be a City player, unless he has followed their official profile for another reason.

The Blues haven't reciprocated the follow back, but that could soon be changed.

The Verdict

For a 24-year-old, Halilovic is well-travelled to put it one way, but his experience in different environments should make him a good fit for the Blues if he does sign.

He will also have a fellow Croatian to help him settle in in the form of Sunjic, and will perhaps provide the creative spark they are lacking in the middle of the park.

On the face of it, this is a big coup for Birmingham, just like Aitor Karanka and Mikel San Jose were. Time will tell as ever though whether or not the gamble will pay off.