While South America is our favourite destination for raw talents, the Russian wilderness offers interesting options as well.
Juan Gafas is back with his scouting edition, this time with a player who got his upgrade to a bigger club only a few days back. From the third division to the Premier League.
Nikita Krivtsov
Age: 18
Club: Krasnodar (Russia)
Position: Central midfielder, Attacking Midfielder
Nationality: Russian
Market Value: €400.000 (Transfermarkt)
Krivtsov recently moved from third-tier Torpedo Vladimir to Krasnodar. He excelled on loan at second-tier Tom Tomsk during the second half of last season, showcasing his skills during a short loan spell.
Krivtsov has very good technical skills, excellent first touch and good orientation which help him when receiving the ball in tight areas. Not the quickest off the mark, he still manages to take on opponents in the middle and break forward. He is a good size, tall and wide for his age, and he uses his body to defend the ball quite well.
A real threat on goal, Krivtsov tries to penetrate the box with a dribble, pass, or shot from distance, playing directly forward and trying to create, asking the defence questions.
When his side is out of possession, he does well pressing high, but his contribution to the defence could improve – particularly when defending in his own half, or when looking to recover quickly.
From what I’ve seen, Krivtsov already has the skill to play in higher levels, a top second-tier side or even in the Russian Premier League. But this really depends on his character and willingness to work hard for it, something I can’t assess at the moment since I’m less familiar with him and this region. If there aren’t any problems with his character, I believe we’ll see him progress up the leagues very soon.
Krivtsov is number 86 in green.
Photo via FC Krasnodar official website.
