Slaven Bilic can lay the platform for Filip Krovinovic’s turnaround at West Brom
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Just two days after Benfica had sold the mercurial 15-goal talent of Joao Felix for £113m, they were to part ways with another of their young attacking players.
This time there was no large fee involved, nor was it a permanent transfer. Instead, a player who was once one of their best players in Filip Krovinovic packed his bags and headed off to English shores
The 23-year-old joined West Brom on loan last week, presumably fresh with the knowledge that it would be a considerable step-down.
After all, this is an attacking midfielder who has gone from playing continental football to now plying his trade in the Championship.
He’s not the first to make a similar move, however. Joao Carvalho joined Nottingham Forest last summer from the Portuguese giants, scoring four goals and claiming eight assists.
If Krovinovic can come close to that he will surely be considered a success.
But the truth is, the Croatian has never yet reached those heights, even in Portugal. In his time playing in Liga NOS, he’s scored six goals and laid on five assists in 52 matches.
However, that doesn’t tell the full story of a player who has had a rather unfortunate career to date.
The creative midfielder arrives off the back of a season in which he played just four times in the league, struggling to bounce back from a horrendous cruciate ligament rupture.
The injury kept him out for almost the entirety of 2018, missing 33 games and 288 days of football.
His spell on the sidelines would have been a lonely one but he now has a chance of rejuvenation. Under fellow Croatian Slaven Bilic, a loan spell with West Brom could be exactly what he needs.
He may not boast the greatest numbers in terms of goals and assists but he certainly arrives with a reputation.
Krovinovic was so impressive before his injury that his absence was argued as one of the reasons why Benfica didn’t win the title in 2017/18 by Portuguese football expert Alex Goncalves.
Speaking to Express & Star, he waxed lyrical about the midfielder, even comparing his technical qualities to Kevin De Bruyne.
Goncalves said: “Not that he’s on the same level by any means at all, but in terms of style, you could say that there are certainly some comparisons to be made with someone like Kevin De Bruyne.
“He’s technically gifted, got good passing range and vision, happy to take on a shot and is good with the ball at his feet.
“He certainly likes to play a similar role to the Belgian international, albeit has a long way to go to get to his overall level.”
West Brom, therefore, could have a star on their hands.
Goncalves explained that big things were expected of him when he joined Benfica from Rio Ave, but his career is yet to really take off.
At the age of 23, he is still uncapped at senior level and there is a danger of unrealised potential for Krovinovic.
But in the Championship under Bilic, the stage could well be set for a career transformation.
This is an individual hailed for his creativity and composure, something that Albion are certainly in need of.
The Baggies looked brilliant when they had Harvey Barnes in the team last season. The Leicester man spent the first half of last term on loan, playing as a left midfielder and in an attacking midfield role behind the striker, scoring nine times and picking up seven assists.
No one came close to him in terms of matching that creative quality, as Matt Phillips also struggled with injury.
The signings of Jefferson Montero and Jacob Murphy on loan didn’t go to plan either. The pair of them scored just three times after arriving for temporary stays.
In the latter stages of the season, West Brom lacked a genuine number ten. However, Krovinovic will give them that, and that’s why he could be so crucial going into next term.
Craig Dawson, Jay Rodriguez and Dwight Gayle may all now be elsewhere, but there are certainly reasons to believe Krovinovic can be every bit as influential.
The fact Goncalves labelled him as one of Benfica’s best players in the past provides evidence of that.
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Only time will tell whether he can truly bounce back from injury, but Bilic has got the best out of creative midfielders in the past.
He of course managed Luka Modric when he was in charge of Croatia, whilst he also signed both Dimitri Payet and Manuel Lanzini when he was at West Ham
The former bagged nine and laid on 12 assists in the Premier League after signing for the Hammers whilst the latter scored six himself.
After signing Krovinovic, Bilic is likely to tweak Albion’s formation slightly to accommodate the Croat and in that number ten role, he could become a key player.
Arguably this signing is a major coup for West Brom and if Bilic can help him rejuvenate his career, they’ll definitely have a much greater chance of achieving promotion next season.
It’s now over to the two of them to muster up something special.