Transfer story
Everton have had a satisfying transfer window so far. They re-signed Wayne Rooney while also securing the signatures of Sandro Ramirez, Gylfi Sigurdsson, Michael Keane and Jordon Pickford. Ronald Koeman wants to bring Everton to the elite list of Premier League clubs. He has shown intent and productivity as the Everton board have supported him thoroughly. The club have started the season slowly by grabbing 4 points from the first three games, but expect them to gain momentum soon.
Recent reports have said that Everton wants to secure the signature of young forward Nikola Vlasic. Everton traveled to Croatia to play against Vlasic’s team Hajduk Split and Koeman is said to be impressed by the teenager’s potential. The manager believes that the youngster can improve under his guidance and serve as a backup for Rooney and Ramirez.
Player’s history
Nikola Vlasic has played for four consecutive seasons for Hajduk Split. He is a talented youngster and was appointed as the vice-captain of the club at a young age. The amount of faith that Hajduk has placed on him gives a glimpse of his true potential. He became Hajduk Split’s youngest ever scorer in international competitions when he netted on his debut against Dundalk F.C.
Vlasic made his debut for Croatian U-16 national football team in 2012. He has since represented his country in all the age-group competitions until U-21. This season, Vlasic has appeared six times in the league for Hajduk. He has scored three goals in the process and it looks like this can be the breakthrough season for this player. In total, he has appeared 120 times for his club and found the back of the net 13 times.
Style of play
The youngster can play as an attacker as well as a central midfielder. He is best suited to play as an attacking midfielder behind the striker, though. Vlasic likes to play short passes and can link up with the attack by breaking defensive setups with a neat pass.
He can pick the ball up from the midfield and dribble it past the defenders. Vlasic’s crossing abilities were a revelation last year. He was on the radar of many top European clubs but Everton can get their man if they make a quick offer.
Is he worth the fuss?
Nikola Vlasic was one of the bright prospects of last year’s Croatian league. He has drawn comparisons with Croatian superstar Luka Modric due to his style of play. Ronald Koeman is building an ambitious project at Everton. He might need some squad players to fill in when the first-team members are out.
Vlasic will have an amazing opportunity to realise his dream of playing at a big club like Everton. Moreover, the club can give him excellent opportunity to play against the best teams in England every single week.
