Aston Villa paid £7m to bring Kalinic to the Championship from Belgian Jupiler League outfit KAA Gent.
Lovre Kalinic’s move from Gent to Aston Villa has been hailed as a major step forward in his career, according to former Croatia international Mario Galinovic.
Villa agreed a deal worth £7 million to bring Kalinic to the Midlands during the January transfer window (The Telegraph), Croatia’s current number one arriving to take the place of the unconvincing Orjan Nyland in Dean Smith’s starting XI.
The 6ft 7ins shot-stopper has endured a mixed start to life at Villa Park but produced his finest performance on British shores in last Saturday’s goalless draw at Reading.
And, in quotes reported by Vercenji List, Galinovic believes that moving to a club of Aston Villa’s stature was a good decision for Kalinic – even if they are ninth in the Championship table as things stand.
“No start is easy, he has flown into the mix when the results of the team are not very good. He alone cannot change it as an individual,” said Galinovic, who was also a goalkeeper in his playing days.
“I do not know how real [Villa’s] ambitions are to get into the Premier League next season, but for Kalinic it’s a step forward.”
Aston Villa might have lost their top flight status in 2016 but you can see where Galinovic is coming from. The Championship is one of the most watched leagues anywhere in Europe and certainly gets more coverage than Belgium’s first division.
It remains to be seen, however, whether Kalinic can deal with life under the microscope.
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