Aston Villa have bagged a massive coup by signing Lovre Kalinic
According to a report from Daily Mail, Aston Villa have successfully wrapped up a deal for Croatian international goalkeeper Lovre Kalinic.
The Belgian outfit want a fee between £5-10 million to part ways with their first-choice shot-stopper and Aston Villa were willing to match that valuation with a £7 million bid. (h/t Telegraph)
A product of Hajduk Split’s youth system. Kalinic was a seasoned campaigner for his boyhood club from 2009 to 2017 and also spent time on a few other Croatian clubs. He was used as Croatia’s second-choice between the sticks for UEFA Euro 2016.
Kalinic was a part of Croatia’s squad at the 2018 World Cup that finished as the runners-up, playing the last group game against Iceland where he made a number of key saves.
He has been promoted as the No.1 between the sticks following the retirement of Danijel Subasic from international football after the World Cup. The 28-year-old has made three starts for Croatia in the UEFA Nations League this season, catching the eye with his heroics between the sticks.
Kalinic, who has 14 international caps to his name, had a wonderful season with Gent in the Belgian top flight last season and his purple patch has prompted Deam Smith’s side to make a move for him.
At Villa, he will provide much-needed cover and competition for their struggling No.1 Orjan Nyland.
Standing at 6ft. 7 inches with a towering frame, Kalinic has shown good command in his penalty area and his decision-making is also of the highest quality. He rarely misjudges the flight of the ball and does not hesitate to come out of his zone to catch the crosses. In other words, the Croatian has a safe pair of hands.
His towering stature as a goalkeeper means that he has quite a long reach, allowing him to keep out shots that are fired into the corner of the net.
As evident from his display in the World Cup, Kalinic is not only adept at keeping out long-range pile-drivers but can also save the demise of his team from close range.
However, his ability to communicate effectively with his backline is perhaps his most impressive attribute.
Villa currently sit 11th in the Championship standings and Dean Smith’s side need a reliable presence between the sticks to boost their chances of securing promotion.
Chances of securing automatic promotion are bleak as The Lions are already way behind leaders Leeds United but a promotion playoff spot is still up for grabs.
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Summer recruit Orjan Nyland hasn’t had a great time with the gloves this season, conceding as many as 34 goals from 23 games. Granted, it would be harsh to hold the keeper responsible for everything but few fans can deny that he has been well below-par with his performances.
That said, the Lions should not hesitate to complete the formalities and snap up the Croatian as he ticks all the boxes to help them in their bid for promotion to the Premier League.
