Augsburg sign Croatian national team keeper

FC Augsburg have secured the services of Croatian national team #2 keeper Nediljko Labrovic. The 24-year-old moves to Germany's Fuggerstadt from Croatian league runners-up HNK Rijeka. Labrovic kept an impressive 18 clean sheets in 35 league appearances last year. In reporting on the deal, Germany's Kicker Magazine claims that Augsburg have paid approximately €2.5 million to sign Labrovic to a four-year-deal. 

Augsburg's current back-up net-minder Tomas Koubek - on whom they relied upon three times during the just-completed league campaign - is out of contract at the end of the month. Labrovic's arrival presumably heralds Koubek's departure. The German club's current #1 Finn Dahmen has delivered plenty of stellar performances this season, but has also had his issues. It can thus be assumed that Labrovic will challenge Dahmen in training camp. 

“In Nediljko Labrovic, FCA has signed a talented goalkeeper who is physically robust, has good dynamics and already has a high level of playing experience despite his young age,” FCA sporting director Marinko Jurendic noted in a statement, “Nedijko has also earned his nomination for the Croatian European Championship squad as a leader and with consistently good performances in Rijeka.”

“I'm delighted that the move has come about because FC Augsburg is an ambitious and attractive Bundesliga club,” Labrovic said in his own statement, “It was always a big goal of mine to play in one of the top leagues in Europe. In discussions with those responsible, it quickly became clear to me that I definitely wanted to take this opportunity in Augsburg."