According to recent reports, Tottenham Hotspur are interested in securing the services of KAA Gent goalkeeper Lovre Kalinic. However, it is believed that Spurs would face stiff competition from their North London rivals, Arsenal in pursuit of the Croatia international’s signature.
The 28-year-old put on a valiant display for his country last weekend but couldn’t help them avoid defeat against England in the UEFA Nations League group stages. However, his excellent display on the night has not gone unnoticed with a number of other clubs chasing after his talents.
Who Is Lovre Kalinic?
Kalinic was born in Split, Croatia and grew up playing football back in his homeland. He used to play for Hajduk’s youth teams before graduating from their academy and having loan spells with some other Croatian clubs such as Junak Sinj, NK Novalja and Karlovac 1919. The Croat shot-stopper finally managed to break into Hajduk’s first-team back in 2012 and went on to represent them in 130 matches, conceding 138 goals while keeping 50 clean sheets in all competitions.
His impressive performances in Croatia earned him a move to the Jupiler Pro League when KAA Gent decided to snap him up at the start of last year. Since making a switch to Belgium, Kalinic has performed well which has helped him earn 16 international caps for the Croatia national team.
What Will Kalinic Add To Pochettino’s Side?
The Croatian talent is a very reliable shot-stopper due to his quick and instinctive reflexes while he uses his big 6’7″ frame to protect his goal when diving to make saves. However, his handling of the ball is pretty ordinary while his distribution from the back can be poor at times.
Is The Croat The Right Fit For Spurs?
The addition of Kalinic won’t be an upgrade over Hugo Lloris but he could be a worthy back-up to the Frenchman and might even push him for a place in Mauricio Pochettino’s starting XI. There is no doubt that the 28-year-old can improve his game even further if he takes a step up to play at the highest level.
Moreover, with Lloris already lining up for the North London outfit every week, Kalinic won’t be under any pressure to deliver from the get-go which should help him settle down in England. Spurs should consider recruiting him in the near future as the Croat could turn out to be a shrewd acquisition in a few years time.
