Transfer shopping at the end of a transfer window, especially the January window, can often be a desperate affair, with clubs picking up the unwanted cast-offs of others.
The Premier League saw it’s fair share of that over the past few days, and Crystal Palace have too, but the Luka Milivojevic deal looks different. It’s still a gamble, bringing a player from the Greek league and expecting him to fit in quickly enough to have an impact before the summer is asking a lot.
But what Luka Milivojevic certainly isn’t is a cast-off. Olympiacos captain, he was much loved and respected by the club and a clear standout player in Greek football. Big clubs from around Europe had been watching Milivojevic but most weren’t keen on paying what Olympiacos wanted.
That’s no slight on the player, but a fee of €15m is a lot for many clubs who would have been looking to give the 25 year old midfielder a better shop window and then sell on for a big profit.
For Crystal Palace the fee clearly wasn’t a problem, and it’s enabled Milivojevic to fulfil a dream.
In comments given to Olympiacos after the move, Milivojevic said: “I want to say a big thanks to Olympiacos . The President, Mr. Evangelos Marinakis and management team, they treated me as family and gave me the opportunity to make reality my dream and to play in the top league of the world, the Premier League. Thanks for all the wonderful moments I lived in Piraeus. A big thank you.”
It’s not a sure thing, but Milivojevic to Crystal Palace could eventually prove to be a shrewd piece of business.
