Scout Report – Ante Coric
Dinamo Zagreb hotshot Ante Coric seems to be on high demand in the transfer market. The 20-year midfielder is a summer transfer target for Premier League sides Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur according to reports from Transfer Market Web (h/t Daily Star). Italian clubs Roma and Sampdoria are also interested in signing the Croatian starlet, along with German club Mainz as per the reports.
The 20-year old Coric has become an important cog in the Dinamo midfield and finished the season with 8 goals and 5 assists from 36 games across all competitions. With so much interest surrounding the player, let’s take a look at who exactly is Ante Coric and what will he be able to bring to the table.
Footballing Background
Born on the 14th April 1997, in Zagreb, Coric started playing football at the tender age of 5 with Hrvatski Dragovoljac before joining the academy of NK Zagreb as a 9-year old. Soon after, his parents, realizing his amazing potential, took him to England, Spain, and Germany to find him the best club to continue his development. Bayern Munich wanted him to join their academy after he impressed heavily in one of their youth camps, but Coric ended up in Austria, with Red Bull Salzburg. After four years with the Austrian side, Coric returned to his homeland, joining Dinamo Zagreb in the summer of 2013.
On 16 April 2014, Coric made his senior team debut for Dinamo and in the 2014-15 season, Coric scored his first UEFA Europa League goal against Astra Giurgiu to become the youngest player to score in the competition at the age of 17 years 157 days. Until now, he has made 118 appearances for Dinamo, scoring 19 goals and registering 20 assists.
Coric has represented the Croatian national team at all the youth levels starting from U15s to the U21s, before making his debut for the senior team in May 2016 against Moldova. He was a part of the 23-man squad that participated in the UEFA Euro 2016 in France. So far, he has made 3 national team appearances.
Style of Play
The 20-year old is primarily an attacking midfielder but has been used in a withdrawn central midfield role on a number of occasions.
A quintessential playmaker in all ways, Coric possesses excellent passing attributes and his supreme vision allows him to open up defences with surprising ease. His abilities are such that he can find a pass in the tightest of the spaces. Another major feature of his gameplay is his amazing dribbling skills. It’s a norm for him to get past two or three men each time he is on the ball. The way he fakes; be it a shot, a pass, or the direction in which he is moving, he is just a delight to watch. It all happens so quickly that the opponents are left chasing shadows.
However, a marked weakness in his repertoire is his build. With him being so lightweight, he often gets pushed off the ball easily, but it is evident that he is working hard on it. His defensive contribution too was a weakness, but he has now managed to turn that around and is often the first to press the opponents high up the pitch. He also needs to polish his finishing skills and work on his composure in front of goal.
What Does The Future Hold?
Coric has had no qualms in turning down big clubs before. He said no to the likes of Bayern Munich during his formative years and refused the big teams once again when he joined Dinamo. So, it is not necessary that he will be leaving in the summer just because the big teams come calling. But if the right offer is made, he may well be on the move to England.
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