Premier League outfit Everton let Nikola Vlasic go out on loan to Russian Premiership outfit CSKA Moscow in the summer transfer window.
Both Sam Allardyce and Marco Silva obviously didn’t feel that Nikola Vlasic was ready to make an impact in Everton’s first-team. But the Croatian starlet clearly has the talent and the personality to make the difference in a Champions League group stage tie.
“I talked at the beginning of the training with Everton coach Marco Silva, who openly told me he could not promise me a place among the first eleven,” Vlasic told Novilist after sealing a season-long loan move to CSKA Moscow.
“Since I’ve been practically lost last season, I did not want to repeat something like that.”
Vlasic barely featured in his debut season at Everton following last summer’s £10 million arrival from Hajduk Split. But the 20-year-old is already starting to showcase his talent and potential over in Moscow.
After setting up a goal and starring in a 3-0 away win at FC Ufa over the weekend, Vlasic continued his terrific run of form as CSKA travelled to Czech side Viktoria Plzen for their Champions League opener on Wednesday night.
The young attacker set up Fedor Chalov’s goal and had the personality to step up in stoppage time in convert a 94th minute penalty to earn his side a potentially valuable 2-2 draw away from home.
Vlasic has gone from a benchwarmer at Everton to the star of CSKA. And Everton fans will be hoping he can replicate these displays in blue in the near future.
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