Manchester City Scout This 21-Year-Old Goalkeeper: Should They Sign Him? | OneFootball

Nikola Cavlina is a Dinamo Zagreb academy and currently plays for Lokomotiva Zagreb in the SuperSport HNL league. He has been in terrific form this term and has impressed everyone with his skills. His performances haven’t gone unnoticed as a couple of European clubs are keeping tabs on him.

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – MAY 04: Pep Guardiola, manager of Manchester City looks on during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Etihad Stadium on May 04, 2024 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

The Croatian shot-stopper has managed to keep 12 clean sheets in 33 games this season. Talking about his qualities, he is a tall guy who likes to use his frame to cut down the angles and block the shots from going into the goal.

Cavlina is a confident keeper with great ball-handling skills. He is quick to come off the line and commands his area really well. He is also good at distributing the ball with short as well as accurate long passes. The youngster is capable of building his career in one of the top five leagues.

A replacement for Stefan Ortega?

Manchester City’s interest in acquiring a fresh goalkeeper has emerged amid the uncertainty over the future of Stefan Ortega. The German goalkeeper has been absolutely top-notch for the English giants in the absence of first-choice, Ederson. He has shown that he is capable of playing for a top-tier lineup and is too good to warm the bench

Hence, the 31-year-old is considering leaving the club in search of game time as he doesn’t want to waste the remaining of his career. In that case, the Citizens will have to bring in a fresh goalkeeper.

The signing of Nikola Cavlina can be a move in the right direction as he can be a long-term replacement for Ederson, who is on the wrong side of 30. Interestingly, the former shares the same agent with City’s defender Josko Gvardiol.