Leeds United have reportedly made an enquiry about the possibility of signing World Cup star Dominik Livakovic from Croatian outfit Dinamo Zagreb amid outside interest in current No. 1 Illan Meslier.
According to French outlet Media Foot, Leeds have made contact with Croatia World Cup star Dominik Livakovic’s agent over a potential move to Elland Road from Dinamo Zagreb in the January transfer window as they view him as a contingency replacement, with Leeds number one Illan Meslier attracting attention from Chelsea and Manchester United.
Certain players will naturally advance in their careers off the back of an excellent World Cup. With the eyes of the world on you, a string of good performances in football’s biggest competition might be enough to transform a life.
That may wind up being the case for some of the goalkeepers this time around. The names Emiliano Martinez, Yassine Bounou, and Dominik Livakovic spring to mind as three of the standout performers in between the sticks for their respective nations in Qatar.
Livakovic, in particular, has been exceptional for Croatia at the World Cup. The irony is that the 27-year-old has endured a relatively disappointing campaign for Croatian giants Dinamo Zagreb this season, keeping just two clean sheets and shipping 17 goals in 16 SuperSport HNL outings.
To put that into context, he has kept 35 clean sheets and conceded 46 goals in 67 HNL appearances across the previous two seasons. Yet he was given the nod by Chequered Ones’ boss Zlatko Dalic despite spending the whole of the 2018 World Cup in Russia on the bench behind Danijel Subašić.
And it’s safe to say he grabbed his chance with both hands and repaid his manager’s faith in him with brilliant performances. The Zadar-born gloveman was in fine form in goal for Croatia.
He wrote his name into the World Cup history books as he became only the third goalkeeper to save three penalties in a shootout when he stopped Japan’s giant-killing run in the round of 16.
Livakovic delivered another match-winning performance against Brazil by making a raft of crucial saves from open play. He eventually saved the all-important penalty of Rodrygo to help Croatia to book a place in the semi-final, where they crashed out to Argentina 3-0 but with their heads held high.
Interestingly, the goalkeeper was offered to Manchester United, Nottingham Forest, and Leicester in the summer, but all three Premier League clubs turned him down. The trio will most likely be cursing themselves now. Indeed, Livakovic’s strong performances on the biggest stage have increased his stock and demand in the market.
The report claims a fee of €10 million will be enough to tempt Dinamo Zagreb to part ways with their shot-stopper, whose current contract expires in 2024.
Leeds United, for one, have initiated talks with Livakovic’s representatives to explore a transfer in January amid concerns over No. 1 Illan Meslier’s future at Elland Road as Chelsea and Manchester United will be looking to snap him up in 2023.
There is likely a belief that an astronomical bid could soon arrive for the young Frenchman’s services. So, it would be wise from Leeds end to have a ready-made replacement, especially when they are expected to be embroiled in a relegation scrap this season.
