With reports suggesting Fiorentina forward Stevan Jovetic has emerged as Manchester City's next target, Adam Bate examines what the Montenegro international could bring to the Premier League.
Monday 12 November 2012 13:35, UK
Adam Bate examines what Fiorentina star Stevan Jovetic could bring to Manchester City.
With five goals in seven Serie A games, 22-year-old Fiorentina forward Stevan Jovetic has made an eye-catching start to the season. Of the 19 players to score more than a couple of league goals in Italy so far, only one - AC Milan's Stephan El Shaarawy - is younger than Jovetic. But unlike many players of his age, his presence on the scoring charts is no surprise. The former Partizan Belgrade star has been earmarked for the top from an early age. Stevan Jovetic was a prodigy. Having scored a UEFA Cup hat-trick at 17, the Montenegrin was soon given the club captaincy and attracting the interest of clubs such as Manchester United and Real Madrid. "I am not surprised by the interest of Manchester United, said the president of his national FA, former Milan hero Dejan Savicevic. "Stevan could play in any of the biggest clubs in Europe." But for injury it seems certain that Jovetic would already be playing at a top Champions League club. A cruciate knee ligament problem in the summer of 2010 saw him miss an entire season at a pivotal point in his career. It could have been a setback that hampered his long-term development but Jovetic allayed those fears last season with 14 Serie A goals. And he's improving. His current form has earned the attention of Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini, a former manager of the Viola himself. If the prospect of that transfer leaves Sir Alex Ferguson regretting his decision not to do a deal for the teenage Jovetic, he'd be joined in his lament by another former rival. In fact, ex-Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez still sounds like a man coming to terms with missing out on his man. The Spaniard wanted to buy the Montenegro international back in 2009 but did not receive the backing of then owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett. He remains convinced that the addition of Jovetic, as well as some adequate defensive cover, would have allowed the Reds to kick on to glory. "The tall, powerful, intelligent Jovetic, would have given Liverpool the squad we needed to build on the previous year's title challenge, when we had run Manchester United so close," said Benitez as recently as last month. "We would be punished for the disappearance of that money - and our failure to sign Jovetic - again and again that season," he added. "That was supposed to be our year, the season it all came together. Instead it was a long, hard campaign, a battle from start to finish."Serie A stats - 2012/13 | |
Player | Goals |
Cavani, Edinson | 6 |
Gilardino, Alberto | 5 |
Jovetic, Stevan | 5 |
Klose, Miroslav | 5 |
Hernanes | 4 |
Cassano, Antonio | 4 |
El Shaarawy, Stephan | 4 |
Bianchi, Rolando | 4 |
Player | Shots, Total |
Jovetic, Stevan | 28 |
Boateng, Kevin-Prince | 26 |
Diamanti, Alessandro | 22 |
Hernanes | 22 |
Vucinic, Mirko | 20 |
Player | Dribbles Attempted | Dribbles Completed |
Jovetic, Stevan | 49 | 23 |
Weiss, Vladimir | 46 | 18 |
Ibarbo, Victor | 45 | 16 |
Diamanti, Alessandro | 42 | 25 |
Caprari, Gianluca | 42 | 11 |