Who is Man City target Ante Palaversa? Is he worth £7m?
According to a report by Sky Sports, Manchester City are close to agreeing on a deal to sign Ante Palaversa from Hajduk Split. The report further states that a fee of £7million will be paid by the Cityzens.
A holding midfielder by trade, the youngster could go on to become City’s much-needed replacement for Fernandinho.
The veteran midfielder is undoubtedly one of their best and replacing him would be a herculean task. However, Pep Guardiola has certainly taken a step in the right direction by moving for Palaversa. Now, let’s take a closer look at his profile.
Who is Palaversa?
Born in 2000 in Split, Croatia, Palaversa embarked on his footballing journey with the Hajduk Split academy. He rapidly rose through the ranks, winning several accolades in the process.
At the end of the 2016/17 season, the youngster was promoted to the reserve team. After a series of impressive displays in the second-tier, he finally broke into the first-team in June 2018.
He made his debut in a UEFA Europa League qualifying match and since then, the midfielder has not looked back.
As far as his international career is concerned, Palaversa has represented Croatia from the U14 to U19 levels. Right now, he is the captain of the U19 squad.
What’s his style of play?
A true-blue defensive midfielder by trade, Palaversa is excellent at breaking up the play in the middle of the park. An extremely controlled and calculated player, the 19-year-old does not blindly rush into challenges. His composure and game intelligence belie his age but at the same time, it also sets him apart.
The fact that he is the captain of Croatia’s U19 team speaks volumes of his leadership skills and understanding of the game. In essence, he is already a lot like Fernandinho – both in terms of playing style as well as mental strength.
What does the future hold?
It goes without saying that Palaversa will not immediately walk into the senior team setup at Manchester City. However, the move itself could take his career to the next level.
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Guardiola is one of the best at extracting the best out of youth players. Given the kind of skills Palaversa has displayed, the duo could conjure up some magic in the near future.