Last week, Croatian goalie Ivo Grbić moved to Atletico Madrid on a 6 million Euro transfer that will keep him in the Spanish capital for four years, IntoTheCalderon.com reports.
So who is Ivo Grbić?
The 24 year-old Split native has been Lokomotiva Zagreb’s goalie for the past two seasons, where he has been capped 71 times. He started in Hajduk Split’s youth academy. Last season, Grbić helped Lokomotiva finish second in the Prva Liga to earn a Champions League qualifying berth and got the team all the way to the Croatian Cup Final game, where they eventually lost to Rijeka.
At 6 million Euros, this is the largest transfer fee for a Croatian goalie in history. The Vatreni have never been a world class goalie factory – unlike other positions – but we could have something brewing here. Grbić will join fellow Croatian, Šime Vrsaljko, at Atletico and be the understudy of Slovenien keeper, Jan Oblak. It’s a great move IF Grbić can learn his trade and eventually get some first-team playing time; whether it’s in Madrid or elsewhere. Grbić has been called up to the senior side for the first time for next month’s matches vs. Portugal and France. He will be listed as the emergency keeper.
So that begs the question: if Grbić is worth 6 million, how much is Livaković worth? 50 million?! 100?!
Dominik Livaković is currently Dinamo Zagreb’s #1 keeper as well as Croatia’s first option, due to a struggling Lovre Kalinić. After Danijel Subašić retired following the 2018 World Cup, the now 25 year-old Livaković strapped on his gloves and as done what was expected of him thus far. Livaković has been capped by the Vatreni nine times but has also helped Dinamo Zagreb make a fantastic Europa League Round of 16 run in 2019 and posted a clean sheet against Champions League quarterfinalists Atalanta this season in group stage.
If Grbić gets playing time, Livaković stays on his current trajectory, and Lovre Kalinić can somehow start producing at Ligue 2 club, Toulouse, Croatia will be fine in the goalkeeper department for the next decade.
Grbić Highlights
@BZ
Does Neuer have Croatian citizenship?
Every week there is a new video of this guy singing a hardcore Croatian song, and he’s there for months at a time every summer (and owns a place there).
Shoulda capped him before Germany did. 😉
@Milos Hvar
It’s a complete hit and miss. Who really knows.
The gap between La Liga and EPL is marginal.
It’s really a matter of whether he is ready to start in a big league, and if there is a major benefit of having Bilic as your coach over Simeone.
Grbic won’t start at Atletico…and who knows, maybe he never will. Their plan may have been to simply have a solid backup goalkeeper. They are a huge club and 3.5 million euro is not much for them to spend, even for a backup.
They don’t want to sell Oblak, but there were some rumors about Chelsea wanting him involving a cash + swap deal for Arrizabalaga. If that actually happens, then Grbic is pretty much going to be a backup until he is transferred again since Arrizabalaga is young and Spanish.
At least with West Brom and Bilic, you’re playing on a team where the coach will be biased in your favor (and will likely do whatever he can to start you and develop you).
There’s no way a fellow Splicanin will keep you on the bench and not care about your development. Personally, I doubt Simeone cares much about Grbic and probably had little to do with his transfer to Atletico.
Hopefully Atletico’s goalkeeping coaches are top notch and work closely with Grbic to develop him. If they can develop an elite goalkeeper like Oblak, hopefully they can do something for Grbic.
i thought the same Maminjo but if he goes and starts for West Brom a team that just got promoted into the premier league I could see it not ending well. A young keeper making a huge jump into the most competitive league on a newly promoted team? Likely would have been peppered with goals and confidence crushed
Grbić could have gone to West Brom with Bilić there… But more money came from Atlético so I guess backup goalkeeper it is.
Hopefully Atlético actually has plans to develop him into their first keeper (and cash in on Oblak).
HNS is only top level when we have had the keeper to get us there – none of these guys in the mix are not good
no palacinke for YOU!!!!!
Crotown- agree, and he leaves his feet too much. Watch guys like Neuer and Donnarumma, they make it look easy with positioning and less theatrical diving (which means more efficiency and easier recovery.)
Hopefully he improves at Atletico, but again, all I see is the highlights, so he might be better than these highlights.
Happy for him, and any goalkeeping help is a boon to our team.
Doesn’t seem to be able to catch the ball- must have had some
Chocolate palacinke before the match and forgot to take his gloves off
great for Ivo I think this can be a really good move for him. but yea what is going on with Livakovic and Petkovic at Dinamo? They are both ready to move on and have proven themselves in Europe. Any rumors on whether they are going to be sold soon or not?
Suba who are you referring to? Mandzukic had a decent season there, but left because of an emerging Griezmann. Vrsaljko was good for Atelti which is why Inter signed him on loan with the option to buy but he had a bad injury and has continued to struggle with injury so Ateltico had to bring in other RBs.
If you’re talking about Nikola Kalinic. He has been awful ever since he left Fiorentina for AC Milan. Milan spent big money on him and he didn’t deliver. Ateltico signed him to be a back up after that bad season and he hardly did anything while there. Scored 2 goals against bottom dweller teams. He has a decent game probably every like 20 matches. He should just go back to Hajduk. He will probably score a good amount of goals there and actually help them finish higher.
Watching the clip, we got smashed by France in that game, he made about 10 saves in one game, I assume non of those defenders will be moving overseas.
I hope it’s not another Croat who loses their way at Atletico
Why do they keep going there it’s clear that simeone dislikes Croats
Anything for money I suppose