Aston Villa have confirmed that they will sign Croatian goalkeeper Lovre Kalinic from Gent on the 1st January.
The goalkeeper will join Villa for a reported £7 million fee, with Dean Smith getting reinforcements between the sticks.
Kalinic was in the Croatian squad that reached the World Cup final this Summer, but was forced to play backup to number one Danijel Subasic.
The 28-year-old has spent the majority of his career in Croatia, but has spent the last two seasons with Gent.
Speaking after the confirmation, Villa boss Dean Smith told the club’s website:
We are delighted to be signing someone of Lovre’s experience and quality.
He is an outstanding goalkeeper and we are looking forward to welcoming him when he joins at the beginning of January.
The signing of Kalinic follows months of poor performances from Villa’s goalies, with Summer signings Orjan Nyland and Andre Moreira failing to impress many at Villa Park.
