Football fever has taken over this summer, as many players have proudly represented their country on a global stage. One young star who wasn’t at the World Cup in Brazil, however, is Chelsea’s new signing Mario Pasalic.
The midfielder made Croatia’s initial 30-man squad before eventually being one of those left out, having previously played for their youth sides right up to under-21 level. What is most impressive about his international career, though, is that he is only turned 19 in February.
Having paid an undisclosed fee for the youngster, it will be interesting to see how Chelsea utilise Pasalic next season. A loan move would seem likely given the Blues’ history of sending young players away to gain experience. This may also be expected given the circumstances; Pasalic has only one full season playing for Hajduk Split in the Croatian top flight, which is far from one of Europe’s top leagues.
What he did do in his one full season, though, was impress. Having suffered an injury that halted his progress the previous year, Pasalic grabbed his opportunity with both hands by scoring 11 goals in just 30 league appearances, as well as racking up five assists. A ratio of better than a goal every three games is incredible for a midfielder and, although it was only his breakthrough campaign, there could be plenty more to come from the young Croatian.