Aston Villa were on the verge of signing Lovre Kalinic last year – but now the Gent goalkeeper is on the radar of Leicester City.
Aston Villa supporters were understandably frustrated when the FA blocked their move for Hajduk Split goalkeeper Lovre Kalinic in January 2016.
According to the Birmingham Mail, Villa had agreed a £4.9 million fee for the talented shot-stopper. However, the FA ruled that he did not warrant a work permit because he had not proven himself to be an ‘elite’ level player despite being established as Croatia’s second choice international goalkeeper.
They were happy enough to ratify Premier League moves for unproven youngsters like Marko Grujic and Kenedy, as well as big-money Everton flop Oumar Niasse however.
The FA’s reason for Lovre Kalinic’s move made little sense
Since then, Kalinic has only further established his reputation on the continent, becoming Gent’s record signing and helping the Belgian underdogs stun Tottenham Hotspur in last season’s Europa League knockout phase.
And, according to The Sun, Kalinic could be set to finally make the move to England this summer. The report claims that Leicester City have made a stunning £18 million bid for the 6ft 7ins stopper, with Gent wanting £22 million for their prized asset.
The fact that his value has sky rocketed in a year and a half highlights the impressive strides made by Kalinic since his move to a Villa side then at the bottom of the Premier League under Remi Garde fell through.
And with Villa looking increasingly unlikely to sign Sam Johnstone, who spent an impressive six month son loan from Manchester United last season, manager Steve Bruce is heading into pre-season with no obvious first choice goalkeeper.
If only Villa had Kalinic to call upon. If supporters were unhappy at the time, the fact that their one-time £4.9 million target is now worth four times as much won’t sate their anger.
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