According to Sport, FC Barcelona will make a move for Leganes star Vasyl Kravets, should Juan Miranda leave the club this summer. The exciting La Masia graduate is not included in Ernesto Valverde’s plans this summer following the signing of Junior Firpo. And with Juventus seemingly interested in his services, Barcelona have identified Kravets as the ideal replacement.
Kravets’ spell in Spain
A product of the Karpaty Lviv youth academy in his native Ukraine, Kravets moved to Spain in January 2017, in a short term loan deal to CD Lugo. He moved to Lugo permanently in the summer of 2017 for a free transfer. And during his two-year spell at the club, the Ukrainian made 42 competitive appearances.
Kravets’ impressive performances for Lugo caught the attention of Leganes, who bought him for a fee of €2.5 million earlier this year. He wasn’t exactly a first-team regular for Los Pepineros. But, the 22-year-old offered depth in the left-back slot and was the prime alternative for Jonathan Silva.
What can he bring to the table?
Kravets is primarily known for his willingness to win back possession for his team. He loves to commit himself in challenges and notably attempted almost four tackles per game last season. He also had a success rate of 71%, which is quite impressive for a fullback.
Aside from his tackling prowess, the Ukrainian averaged an impressive 1.2 completed dribbles per game with a success rate of 70%. Also, the 22-year-old delivered one key pass per game, which is significantly decent for a fullback. However, his lack of games means we cannot actually take these statistics into serious consideration.
Stat courtesy: Whoscored
Is Kravets a good option for Barcelona?
Kravets could be a good addition to Barcelona, especially in the event of Miranda’s potential move away from Camp Nou this summer. The Ukrainian star isn’t expected to be drafted into the first-team, though. As Miranda’s replacement, it’s likely he will play for the Barcelona B team next season.
The Leganes defender could, however, become successful playing for the B team as there won’t be much competition in the left-back position, especially with Marc Cucurella leaving the club this summer. And should Miranda go as well, Kravets is almost guaranteed to become a first-team regular for the reserve side.
Hence, he is not necessarily a bad option for Barcelona, though the outcome of this transfer saga will have minimal impact on the club’s aspirations this season.
