Why a Transfer to Valencia Is Positive for Alen Halilovic and Barcelona

The 2015-16 season has barely ended for Spanish sides, but Barcelona are already making the first moves to defend the Liga title they won on the final day by preparing their squad for next term.

While transfer rumours will be ongoing throughout June and July as to who the Catalan outfit will bring in to reinforce one of Europe’s strongest squads, outgoing movements will be equally as important, freeing up squad spaces and wages, bringing in immediate cash for new signings and allowing Luis Enrique to shape the side for another assault on the treble.

One of the likely outgoing players is Alen Halilovic, the Croatian teenager who spent last season on loan at Sporting Gijon. While he helped Sporting avoid relegation, Halilovic is not likely to feature for the first team at Barca next season, and Valencia have made their wishes to sign him perfectly clear, per Spanish outlet Sport.

It isn’t the route to success at the Camp Nou that Halilovic would have envisaged upon when signing, but a permanent move to Los Che doesn’t have to be the end of his dream, and it could work out best for all three parties.

 

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Halilovic spent the past year in La Liga fighting the drop, which he helped Sporting do on the final day. Throughout the campaign, he played as an attacking midfielder, often centrally in a No. 10 role, though also on the right flank from time to time.

His best traits are well known by now: dribbling and accelerating through the centre of defence and running at opposition defenders and trying to create gaps for team-mates, which he exploits with either incisive through passes or shooting from long range.

Halilovic certainly has a good strike on him, but he doesn’t always make the best choices as to when to shoot and when to release the ball early.

As a young playmaker, that isn’t exactly an exclusive trait to him, and the realisation of when to move the ball should come with further experience and game time.

Indeed, his all-round game suffers from that same inconsistency in execution, with spells of matches often passing the 19-year-old by before he can find time and space to make an impact.

There can be no doubting his commitment and aggression, as he is always willing to fight for the ball and position himself in defensive areas when required to. However, the main focus of his game is very much in the attacking half—and here he did not always shine in a team with …

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