Derby County Opinion: Rams should try and win the race for Croatian shot-stopper Simon Sluga
According to claims from Derbyshire Live, Derby County are in the race to sign 26-year-old Croatian goalkeeper Simon Sluga in the summer transfer window.
Derby, however, are not the only club to have been credited with an interest in former Croatian U-21 international, with Derbyshire Live reporting that newly-promoted duo Sheffield United and Norwich City are also in the mix to sign the 6ft.3 inches shot-stopper, who currently plies his trade with HNK Rijeka in the Croatian top-flight.
The same report claims that Sluga has only one year remaining on his current contract at Rijeka and is set to be available for around £1.8 million in the summer, with Rijeka keen to cash in on their No.1 rather than facing the risk of losing him for nothing next summer.
Sluga has impressed with his scintillating run of form between the sticks for Rijeka this season, managing 13 clean sheets in 35 league appearances to propel his team to second in the Prva HNL. The 26-year-old saved a penalty on Wednesday, as Rijeka beat Zagreb to claim the Croatian Cup.
A youth product of Rijeka, Sluga spent time in the youth academies of Juventus and Hellas Verona before returning to his parent club in 2013. The shot-stopper was shipped out on loan to Pomorac in the Croatian second-tier for the 2013-14 season, where he impressed with 17 clean sheets in 31 appearances.
Sluga’s rapid development prompted Rijeka to loan him out to Lokomotiva Zagreb for the following season and the towering goalkeeper proved his worth in the top-flight as well, keeping 8 clean sheets in 28 league appearances.
The 26-year-old’s heroics on his loan spells were enough to convince Rijeka that he was ready to play in their first-team and Sluga was handed his debut in the 2015-16 season.
The shot-stopper hasn’t looked back since then and has gradually established himself as the club’s undisputed No.1 between the sticks, collecting a total of 27 clean sheets in 85 appearances across all competitions. He has represented Croatia at all youth levels from U-17 to U-21, although he is yet to earn his first senior international cap.
To put things into perspective, Simon Sluga has a good enough profile for a goalkeeper of his age and he could be a useful signing for all the aforementioned clubs. While Norwich can look at him as someone to challenge the inconsistent Tim Krul for the No.1 role, Sheffield are yet to strike a permanent deal for Man United loanee Dean Henderson.
However, Derby could bag a massive coup if they manage to win the battle for the talented Croatian shot-stopper, although their position in the race to sign the 26-year-old might depend on whether they manage to make it to the Premier League at the expense of Aston Villa in the playoff final.
The Rams are currently not in desperate need of a new shot-stopper, with Dutchman Kelle Roos and English veteran Scott Carson in their ranks. Carson started the season as the No.1 between the sticks but Lampard showed more confidence in Roos in the second half of the campaign, and the Dutchman repaid the manager’s faith in him, collecting 6 clean sheets in 16 Championship outings.
Sluga has shown a lot of promise in the Croatian top-flight and he might prove to be an upgrade on the likes of Carson and Roos in the years to come. Also, the Rams should look to increase competition for places between the sticks if they manage to make it to the Premier League.
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Sluga’s impressive form at Rijeka has put him to the verge of a first international call-up and Derby could have a gem in their hands if they are prepared to play a gamble on the 26-year-old. There’s always an element of risk involved in signing players from the lesser leagues in Europe but this is a move that might as well pay rich dividends in the future.
