Lovre Kalinic flopping no surprise considering 2015-16 interest

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Aston Villa have been linked with a move for both Jack Butland and Neil Etheridge this summer as goalkeeper remains a concern at Villa Park.

That issue was supposed to have finally been solved by the signing of Lovre Kalinic in the January transfer window.

After botches with Pierluigi Gollini, Orjan Nyland and failing to secure Sam Johnstone, Aston Villa have struggled for a top keeper in recent years.

Croatian number one Lovre Kalinic was supposed to solve all that. As reported by The Telegraph, Aston Villa paid Belgian side KAA Gent £7 million for Lovre Kalinic in January.

However, he has struggled to adapt to English football and Jed Steer ended up usurping him as number one stopper. Kalinic simply looks completely unsuited to the rigors of playing for a club like Aston Villa and not many fans give him hope of a Villa Park revival.

So it is no surprise this Aston Villa flop was wanted in an era of flops.

Aston Villa had been on Kalinic’s trail before. Back in January 2016, the Daily Mail reported that a £4.9 million fee had been agreed between Villa and Kalinic’s former club.

This was with Aston Villa bottom of the Premier League with Remi Garde in charge after Tim Sherwood’s sacking. It was a time of poor recruitment from Aston Villa which saw them relegated to the Championship.

Kalinic, like Micah Richards, Jose Angel Crespo and Joleon Lescott from that season, has proven to be an Aston Villa mistake. It seems signing in that season was something of a Villa curse.

It is not the end for him based on that same principle. Aston Villa also signed Idrissa Gana Gueye, Jordan Veretout and Jordan Amavi that same season. Their careers have skyrocketed since leaving Aston Villa and perhaps Kalinic can do the same.