Girona to tie up €35m agreement with Premier League side for defender | OneFootball

Girona are on the verge of bringing in a club record fee for Czech defender Ladislav Krejci, a little over 12 months on from his arrival in Catalonia. The 26-year-old defender is due to move to Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League.

Krejci arrived with plenty of promise last summer, as Girona went into the Champions League for the first time, following 24 goals and eights assists from defence for Sparta Prague, who he was captain of at the time. Wolves have clearly seen plenty to like in his first season in La Liga.

Agreement could be club record fee

Last summer Girona sold Artem Dovbyk to AS Roma for €30.5m, in a club record sale, but the deal for Krejci could eclipse that. After reports emerged that a deal was close on Wednesday night, Fabrizio Romano has now claimed that a deal is agreed for a fee of close to €35m, albeit that will likely include bonuses. The fixed fee is expected to be at least €30m, and Krejci has already agreed personal terms with Wolves.

Girona spent just €8m on him last summer, meaning they will make a healthy profit on him, and Sporting Director Quique Carcel will be keen to get it over the line in order to address other deals before the transfer deadline.

Krejci’s season at Girona

In a difficult season for Girona, which started in the Champions League and ended in a relegation battle, Krejci was a regular, playing 36 times, scoring twice and giving one assist, of which 35 were starts. Those appearances mixed some incredible displays of determination, including last-man challenges and goal-line clearances.

Yet there is no doubt that he was caught out on occasions too. Strong, quick and good in the air, Krejci has a strong skillset for any central defender. His biggest issue last season was being caught out by the movement of opposition forwards. As per FBRef, Krejci ranked seventh in La Liga for percentage of aerial battles won (69.6%) and sixth for progressive carrying distance last season. He also came out well on passing metrics, regularly placing in the top 10% of central defenders, a sign of his comfort on the ball, and desire to supply his midfield and forwards in good positions.