Dinamo Completes Three Transfers in a Single Day
Kiril Kravtsov and Fuzy Taylor arrive at Maksimir, while Gabriel Vidović heads to Paderborn. Meanwhile, a crucial match against Viking is on the horizon.
Kiril Kravtsov and Fuzy Taylor arrive at Maksimir, while Gabriel Vidović heads to Paderborn. Meanwhile, a crucial match against Viking is on the horizon.
Dinamo is expected to finalize as many as three transfers on Monday. Kiril Kravtsov (24) and Fuzy Taylor (18) are set to join the blue salon, while Gabriel Vidović is heading to Germany, as reported by Net.hr, citing Germanijak. Both midfielders have already been training with the Modri, and only a medical examination stands between them and signing their contracts.
These are two players who primarily operate as defensive midfielders, and from whom much is expected at Maksimir. Kravtsov, 24, is a former Russian youth international who spent the last four seasons at Sochi. In his youth, he was part of Zenit Saint Petersburg's academy, and despite interest from two La Liga clubs and Lokomotiv Moscow, he chose Dinamo.
Taylor, on the other hand, is a "player for the future." The youngster joins Dinamo on loan from Medeama, the Ghanaian champions, for whom he played 28 matches last season and helped secure the title. He will initially feature for the B team before vying for a spot in the first squad, where the Modri see him as the ideal long-term replacement for Josip Mišić.
Kravtsov and Taylor have been on the radar for some time, but they only recently resolved their visa issues. Now, they will undergo medicals and, if all goes well, sign contracts with Dinamo.
As for Gabriel Vidović, everything is already settled. Coach Mario Kovačević stated after the match against Rudeš that the transfer is nearly complete and that Dinamo's number ten will sign for Paderborn before the Viking clash. Vidović joined Dinamo last summer for €1.2 million from Bayern, and Paderborn will pay €3 million, with Dinamo receiving just over €2 million of that fee.
Regarding the goalkeeping situation, Dinamo will address that "issue" after the playoff against Viking. If the Blues secure a spot in the elite competition, a new goalkeeper will certainly arrive. However, if they drop into the Europa League, they may give more opportunities to Filipović or Neveštić, as Germanijak reported.
Finally, Germanijak writes that Dinamo will not register either Kravtsov or the earlier arrival Nsoki for the Champions League. Since they haven't undergone preseason training and aren't fully match-fit, their debuts are expected only in early September.
On Tuesday, August 18, at 9 PM at Maksimir, Dinamo hosts Viking FK in the second leg of the Champions League playoff. As announced on the club's official Twitter profile, the North Lower, West Lower, and West Upper stands are sold out, with only the North Upper stand still available. Tickets for that section cost €12 for members and €17 for other fans.
In addition to the fight for a spot in the Champions League group stage, a portion of the match revenue will be donated to help those affected by the wildfires in the hardest-hit areas of Croatia.
Ahead of the match, Zvone Boban sent an emotional tribute on the occasion of the 40th birthday of the Bad Blue Boys supporters' group. "To you, without whom nothing is the same, for 40 years, nothing has been the same! To you, who have never stopped loving and living in blue, not for a single second of life, not for a single second of any match. To you, thanks to whom we have the Dinamo we've dreamed of for years. In tradition, in rebellion, always your own, forever Dinamo's! Happy Birthday, Purgeri! Happy Birthday, BBB group! Dinamo Zagreb above all, Dinamo Zagreb above everyone!" Boban said.
