Hajduk Split sign former Benfica and West Bromwich Albion midfielder
- by croatiaweek
- in Sport
SPLIT, 19 July 2021 – Croatian football club Hajduk Split have signed former Benfica and West Bromwich Albion midfielder Filip Krovinović.
Hajduk have signed Krovinović on a three-year deal, the club confirmed on Monday.
“We are especially pleased to confirm that HNK Hajduk and S.L. Benfica reached an agreement on the transfer of Filip Krovinović, who signed a contract until the summer of 2024. Filip passed the medical tests today and will immediately join the trainings of the first team. He chose the jersey with the number 23,” Hajduk.hr said.
Krovinović was born on August 29, 1995 in Zagreb, where he began his football career. As a senior, he played 78 games for NK Zagreb, from where he made a transfer to the Portuguese club Rio Ave in 2015.
He spent two seasons there after which he signed a five-year contract with Benfica with whom he won the Portuguese title in his second season.
He then spent two seasons on loan at West Bromwich Albion playing a total of 55 matches. He spent his last season on loan at Nottingham Forest where he played 19 official times.
“Filip is a player who will soon turn 26, he has gained great football experience playing at high levels, from the Portuguese first division with Benfica and Rio Ave to the Championship and the English Premier League. He is a polyvalent midfielder who can play with equal quality in almost all positions in the midfield, as well as in different game systems, which was our priority in the selection of players. According to the characteristics it has, it is compatible with the style and model of the game we want to build and with its high qualities it can make a difference and will certainly bring additional quality to our game and will be a significant reinforcement for our team,” said Hajduk sports director Mindaugas Nikoličius.
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“I am finally here, I am very happy about it, everyone welcomed me warmly from the first second and thank you for that. I am looking forward to training, matches, I have received a lot of messages from Hajduk fans in the past month. There were really beautiful words, nice messages, I tried to read them all. I am really happy that my arrival means so much to the fans, and I can only promise that I will try to bring it back on the field with the same measure,” Krovinović said after signing the contract.
Krovinović has represented Croatia at both U19 and U21 level.
