Rokas Pukstas has arrived at Middlesbrough with a reputation built entirely in Croatian football, so the obvious question for Boro supporters is a straightforward one: what exactly are they getting? Croatian football journalist Lovre Nikolac offered a detailed assessment to BBC Radio Tees, and the picture he paints is of an energetic, physically imposing box-to-box midfielder who carries a genuine goal threat from deep.

Goals from midfield

The 22-year-old spent four years in the Hajduk Split first team, making 142 appearances and contributing 27 goals and 10 assists. That return, for a central midfielder, underlines one of the qualities Nikolac highlighted most strongly: the ability to arrive late in the penalty area.

"He is very good arriving late and as soon as he steps on the pitch, as soon as there's an aerial duel, he wins it," Nikolac told the station. "He can jump high. He's very strong and his play with headers is amazing. If there's one thing that he cannot improve on, I think it's that."

That predatory instinct to pick up loose balls and steal in at the back post is not easy to coach, and it is a quality that Championship defences will be tested by regularly if Pukstas settles into the side under Kim Hellberg.

Work rate and stamina

Hellberg has made no secret of the demands he places on his squad in terms of pressing and off-ball running, and on that front the signs are encouraging. According to Nikolac, Pukstas's work ethic is one of his defining characteristics.

"Obviously we can talk about the goals, but it's what he does off the ball," said Nikolac. "He just runs. There's no other way to put it. He never stops and he does everything that's needed from him. And he's box to box, so up and down the pitch the whole game and never looks tired."

That engine will be tested in the Championship, a division renowned for its physical demands and the relentless fixture schedule. If the reports of his stamina are accurate, though, Pukstas should be well suited to the intensity Hellberg expects from his midfield.

The area to develop

Nikolac was candid about where the USA under-23 international still has room to grow. Passing, he suggested, is currently the weakest part of Pukstas's game.

"He's not great at passing, but everything else he's got spot on. Defending, reading the game, late arrivals, scoring goals," Nikolac said. "But if he can improve that, then you have a whole player, a true midfielder. You can use him wherever you want. He has the physicality to do anything."

The Championship will provide a genuine examination of that technical side. The pace of the game and the press-resistance required in the centre of the pitch will demand a higher level of accuracy in tight spaces than the Croatian top flight typically required of him. Whether Hellberg's coaching staff can accelerate that development will go some way to determining how quickly Pukstas establishes himself at the Riverside.

The bigger picture for Boro

Middlesbrough have signed a player who is unproven outside his home country but comes with credible statistical backing for his effectiveness at club level and an expert endorsement of his physical and aerial qualities. The signing also represents something of a project: a young midfielder with a high ceiling if the technical gaps can be closed.

For a club with ambitions of pushing towards the upper end of the second tier, Pukstas offers an intriguing blend of energy, set-piece threat and a knack for scoring from midfield. The Championship will tell us quickly how well those attributes translate. Boro supporters, on the evidence of Nikolac's assessment, have reason to be curious rather than cautious.

Frequently asked

Who is Rokas Pukstas and where did he come from?
Rokas Pukstas is a 22-year-old box-to-box midfielder who joined Middlesbrough after a four-year spell in the Hajduk Split first team, during which he scored 27 goals and registered 10 assists in 142 appearances.
What are Pukstas's main strengths?
According to Croatian football journalist Lovre Nikolac, Pukstas excels at arriving late in the box to score goals, winning aerial duels, and maintaining an exceptional work rate and stamina throughout the full 90 minutes.
What does Pukstas need to improve for Middlesbrough?
Nikolac identified passing as the key area for development, noting that if Pukstas can improve his technical game, he has the physicality and range of skills to become a complete Championship midfielder.