Ante Palaversa: Have Manchester City unearthed the new Fernandinho?

Croatia under-19 captain Ante Palaversa has been rumoured to be joining Manchester City in the near future for a fee of £7 million. The young Croatian defensive midfielder has broken into Hajduk Splits first team this season, making 14 appearances in Croatias First Division and becoming a mainstay of the side.

Manchester City have made no secret about the fact that they have been looking far and wide for a Fernandinho replacement. If the Premier League Champions are able to bring in Palaversa this could be a long-term solution to the Fernandinho problem. In our tactical analysis we will look at some of the statistics behind Ante Palaversa and how he compares to Fernandinho. We will also highlight some of his strengths that he has so far displayed in Croatia.

General game

Palaversa is a very physical player for his age. At 18 he is roughly 6322, and doesnt look at all out of place amongst his older teammates at Hajduk Split. Hajduk have played a number of systems so far this season but more often than not they have opted for a 4-1-2-1-2 diamond. In this system Palaversa is usually selected as the left or right-sided midfielder rather than in the single pivot, the position taken up by Fernandinho in Manchester Citys lineup.

At the half-way point in the Croatian footballing season, Hajduk Split are under-performing in comparison to last years third-place finish. They currently sit fifth in the league, so although Ante Palaversa has broken into the team it is currently a team that is flattering to deceive.

Passing ability 

Palaversa has an impressive range to his passing and has shown an ability to play the ball between the lines on the ground. He also an ability to switch the ball into space or to a teammate in an advanced position, something which is an important aspect of Manchester Citys style of play. Below are a number of examples that show Palaversas range of passing and ability to spot space and movement ahead of him.

Palaversa spots his receiver (below) and is able to put the ball directly onto his toe. This is very reminiscent of the type of pass Aymeric Laporte is tasked with playing for Manchester City.