Gent’s Croatian goalkeeper Lovre Kalinic reportedly flew to Birmingham on Wednesday for talks with Aston Villa.
Aston Villa have been forced to wait for Lovre Kalinic.
As reported by the Birmingham Mail, Villa agreed a deal to sign the giant goalkeeper for £4.9 million back in 2016, only for the transfer to collapse as he failed to obtain a work permit.
Three years later, however, it seems that Kalinic is closer than ever to a move to the Midlands. The same publication claims that the Croatian international is once again a target for Aston Villa and flew into Birmingham on Wednesday for talks.
As Kalinic is now his country’s number one shot-stopper, the lack of a work permit is no longer a concern.
As the the Telegraph points out, the 28-year-old would cost around £7 million with his current club, Gent, seemingly set to lose their prized asset.
The question is, however, whether Kalinic will be worth the wait. On paper, the early indications look good.
The fact that Kalinic has established himself as Croatia’s number one after the international retirement of World Cup penalty-saving hero Danijel Subasic speaks volumes. For some time now, the former Hajduk Split ‘stopper has been one of the most underrated custodians around, having won the Belgian League’s goalkeeper of the season award back in 2017 while helping Gent reach the knockout stages of the Champions League for the first time.
And Kalinic’s recent performances in Croatia’s Nations League campaign, particularly in the dramatic 3-2 win against Spain, suggest that he is a major upgrade on the unconvincing Orjan Nyland.
£7 million could be very well spent.
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