{"id":1128436,"date":"2020-01-31T21:33:42","date_gmt":"2020-01-31T21:33:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?p=1128436"},"modified":"2020-01-31T21:33:42","modified_gmt":"2020-01-31T21:33:42","slug":"richairo-zivkovic-transfer-sheffield-united-stats-style-play-best-position-analysis","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/news\/richairo-zivkovic-transfer-sheffield-united-stats-style-play-best-position-analysis\/","title":{"rendered":"Richairo Zivkovic: Sheffield Utd’s new signing has a chance to show why Liverpool scouted him back in his ‘new Robben’ days"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sheffield United completed the loan signing of Richairo Zivkovic on deadline day.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The 23-year-old centre-forward temporarily joins this season’s Premier League surprise package from Chinese League One outfit Changchun Yatai.<\/span><\/p>\n

Who is Zivkovic? Five things Sheffield United fans need to know\u2026<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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  • Age:<\/strong> 23<\/li>\n
  • Best position:<\/strong> Centre-forward<\/li>\n
  • Career path so far:<\/strong> FC Groningen (2013-14) > Ajax (2014-15) > Willem II (2015-16) > FC Utrecht (2016-17) > KV Oostende (2017-19) > Changchun Yatai (2019-20) > Sheffield United (2020-)<\/li>\n
  • Career appearances\/goals:<\/strong> 190\/61<\/li>\n
  • “He is a pleasant boy to work with and an intelligent player.” – Erik ten Hag<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    https:\/\/audioboom.com\/posts\/7491851<\/p>\n

    His arrival comes a day after the Blades – who are determined to finish as the best of the rest in the Premier League this season – secured the services of Norwegian midfielder Sander Berge. But to call this a spur-of-the-moment signing would be unfair.<\/p>\n

    The Yorkshire-based club had been tracking him for months<\/a>. Having a member of the institution being fluent in Chinese (the club\u2019s head of football administration Carl Shieber) accelerated their dealings with Zivkovic’s parent club.<\/p>\n

    A once highly-rated talent, Zivkovic has gone from potentially being the next great Dutch striker to now being tasked with resurrecting that promising career, though it remains to be seen whether he will eventually become a regular fixture under the no-nonsense Chris Wilder.<\/p>\n

    From nowhere to now here<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    Zivkovic’s breakthrough at boyhood club FC Groningen immediately drew comparisons with Arjen Robben. Not stylistically speaking, but rather in that here was another homegrown star making an impact at Eredivisie level. After replacing him as the club’s youngest-ever league scorer a number of top European clubs — such as Liverpool, Manchester City and Barcelona — were reportedly keen to acquire his signature.<\/p>\n

    “All the big clubs in the Netherlands are interested in him but Liverpool scouts are particularly active. They are constantly watching us,” Groningen president Hans Nijland then claimed<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    After registering 11 goals across 40 matches in all competitions, he’d secure a lucrative move to regional powerhouse Ajax but it didn’t turn out to be the dream move he anticipated. Up until that point, many envisaged him to one day become the Netherlands’ next top centre-forward.<\/p>\n

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    Zivkovic en Haller lang droog: ''Soms heb je net even een periode pech'' https:\/\/t.co\/g9eIrfM0vZ<\/a> #FCUtrecht<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/T7lnasBBEv<\/a><\/p>\n

    — UtrechtFans (@UtrechtFansNL) February 10, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n