Stefan Melentijević – RCB – Primorje
Melentijević came through the Red Star Belgrade youth system and also spent time on loan with Grafičar Beograd before moving into senior football with Radnički Beograd. He later signed for Russian side Khimki, making his Russian Premier League debut against Zenit St Petersburg in March 2023. Now with Slovenian club Primorje, he has also represented Serbia at Under-16 and Under-18 level.
He’s 22, closer to the sort of age I think we’ll sign, and he’s aerially commanding, standing 6ft 3in, he’s taller than Toibibou. He won 69.5% of his defensive duels, 62% of his loose ball duels and 53.4% of his aerial duels, while also completing 85.5% of his passes and 63.2% of his long passes. The figures point to a centre-back who spends much of his time defending his own box, but also has enough reliability in possession to move the ball on cleanly when required.
Again, I think it is a slight stretch for this player to jump out as a huge target for the Imps, but he would certainly fit in terms of profile. It is worth noting that his side, Primorje, were relegated, so there could be a cut-price deal for someone on the cards.
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