Favorite transfer # 9: Andrija Balic

WEBSITE Andrija Balic is perhaps the most surprising name in this list of ten. It may be a combination of the new purchasing policy and the success of the Croats at the World Cup that you put this name forward.


Name: Andrija Balic
Current club: Udinese
Position: Central midfielder
Age: 20
Nationality: Croat
Market value *: € 3,500,000

History: Balic played for Hadjuk Split since he was 10 years old. In the summer of 2014, he was included in the first team shortly before his seventeenth birthday.

After a short adjustment period, he collected regular play minutes from December 2014. In seventeen games he was good for six goals and two assists.

In the following season he was a basic player until he was transferred for three million euros to Udinese in Serie A in February. He also needed an adaptation period there, but from February 2018 he often played.

Last season he eventually collected 21 games in the Serie A, until he fell out with an injury to the medial belt. It is not yet clear when he will be back on the field again

Balic also played eleven games for the Croatian U21.

Profile: Balic is not the biggest or the strongest, but can play a central role in the midfield at the three positions. He is creative and has a wonderful long shot, by which you can make the comparison with Youri Tielemans. He is pretty sensitive to injury.
 
Feasibility: Balic will certainly not be cheap, although his current injury may lower the price.

Priority? Balic is not the pit bull that can compensate a possible departure from Adrien Trebel or the big, strong midfielder who can also play in the defense and will succeed Leander Dendoncker. In addition, Sven Kums is still at Neerpede and Yevhen Makarenko and Edo Kayembe have already shown themselves in the preparation. Anderlecht currently have different priorities than Balic.
 
Conclusion: Balic seems to be a football player for Anderlecht, but it may be the right time this summer.

Next: A young Belgian who would divide the purple-white crowd between cheers and boos.

* According to transfermarkt.de