The player nobody in your group chat knows
The skouted.ai hidden gems section exists for exactly this file. R. Pukstas, a 21-year-old United States international midfielder at Hajduk Split, rated 75 OVR in the Croatian HNL, valued at €1.4M to €2.3M, with a UV score of 85, a deal score of 77, high data confidence, and a contract inside its final 8 months.
The story is better than the line. Pukstas grew up in Oklahoma, a state that has produced roughly one professional footballer of note, and moved to Split as a teenager to fight for a place at one of Croatia’s two institutional giants. He did not just survive it. He claimed a starting berth in a league that eats young imports.
The numbers behind the rating
| Metric | 2025 season, Hajduk Split |
|---|---|
| Appearances | 31 |
| Goals | 9 |
| Assists | 1 |
| Minutes | 2,457 |
| Goals per 90 | 0.33 |
| Passing accuracy | 73% |
The skouted.ai scouting report frames it precisely: “At 21, Pukstas has claimed a regular starting berth in the Croatian top flight, a significant achievement at this stage of a career. 31 appearances and 9G/1A this season, backed by a 73% passing accuracy. The profile leans heavily on attacking output as the lead metric, with defensive work rate the natural development target.”
Nine goals from midfield at 0.33 per 90 is not a depth player’s line. It is a box-arriving eight with genuine goal threat, right-footed, 181 cm, and still flagged as youth.
Why he is still cheap
The Croatian league’s export record is excellent and its prices remain below the big-five premium. Hajduk graduates and signings routinely move to Serie A, the Bundesliga and the Eredivisie at multiples of Pukstas’s current band. With 8 months left on his deal, the arithmetic tilts further: any Croatian club’s leverage evaporates in January when foreign sides can open pre-contract talks, and Hajduk knows it. That is why the UV score sits at 85 and the deal score at 77.
For USMNT watchers, the subplot writes itself. Pukstas has spoken openly about chasing his national team moment, and a move to a top-five league in 2027, the season before the World Cup cycle peaks, would put him in the shop window at the exact right time.
The fit
He profiles as a classic number eight for a high-pressing side: late runs into the box, two-way instincts still developing, and the physical frame to hold up in a top league. Dutch and Portuguese clubs are the natural first step, mid-table Serie A and the Bundesliga the ambitious one. Any of them would be acquiring a 75 OVR, 21-year-old full international for less than the price of a squad rotational player.
Hidden gems are usually hidden for a reason. This one is hidden because Oklahoma to Split is not a path scouts walk. The data has already found him. The market will follow.
AI Verdict: Buy
The combination of age, proven league output, a UV score of 85 and a contract inside its final year is a textbook buy profile. For clubs acting before January, a fee around €2M is still available. After January, it is a free agent auction, and the price of the same player doubles.
View full profile and AI-powered transfer intelligence at skouted.ai