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Scouting report on new Huddersfield Town striker Bojan Radulovic

04/01/2023

Huddersfield Town are signing a striker, repeat Huddersfield Town are signing a striker. According to Swedish journalist Anel Avdić, Huddersfield are set to sign the 24-year-old striker from Finnish side HJK. The Spanish-born former Serbian youth international is no stranger to English football having previously been contracted to Brighton and Hove Albion but failed to make a senior appearance.

Since his release from Brighton in 2020, he moved to Sweden to AIK and then in 2022 moved to HJK in Finland where he has flourished. I think it is fair to say that Brighton has one of the best recruitment networks in England if not in the world, so not making an appearance is not a blot on Rodulovic's record. Victor Gyökeres didn't make a league appearance for Brighton either and we know how good he went on to be. Brighton are so good at identifying young players and even if it doesn't work out on the South Coast, it usually works out somewhere else.

What sort of striker is Radulovic?

Radulovic is a 6ft3 out and out number 9 who was the top scorer in the Veikkausliiga last season. Bojan is a prolific forward who although is right footed is comfortable scoring on either foot. After watching a 6ft2 Colin Quaner pull out of every aerial duel, it is clear that not every tall player can head a ball! But Radulovic is strong in the air, 8 of his 36 goals for HJK were headed. Along with his aerial strength, the former Serbian U19 international is a top penalty taker with 11 of his goals for HJK coming from the penalty spot.

The question you are going to be asking now is: "It's the Finnish league, he is scoring these against quality sides?' Which would be correct, but he also has just come off a season of scoring 25 goals in all competitions, which is not to be sniffed at. Last season, Town signed Florian Kamberi on a free transfer who scored 8 goals in the previous 4 years, now it is someone who is coming off a prolific scoring campaign. (Just for reference, Finnish seasons are calendar years, so he last played in October 2023.) He also has 6 goals in European competition this season, 3 of which came in the European Conference league group stage.

Is it a risk?

Without being too cliche, every transfer has some sort of risk attached, but it seems like a sensible deal. It is expected to be an initial loan with the obligation to make it permanent in the summer. At 24 there is still time for him to improve and develop, and for once Town are signing someone on the right side of 30 and not a project player. You only have to see the impact that Sory Kaba had on loan at Cardiff from Midijylland after scoring only 4 goals in the first half of the season for the Danish club. Likewise with Delano Burgzorg, Town signed him knowing that he had potential and promise, but he hadn't been able to put it together in a full season before. Now Town are getting a striker who will be confident coming off the back of a successful season and can just focus on adapting to English football as he clearly knows where the net is.

The verdict.

I think it is a very tidy signing, Town are signing someone who is coming off the back of a season where he scored 25 goals. He is an aerial threat and a clinical finisher in the box. If you said find a player that fits the profile of a player like Keiffer Moore, Radulovic would fit it. Like the signing of Alex Matos it is an early sign of intent from Town to get themselves out of a relegation battle. So far so good from Town, but how good this deal is (and any further business) will be judged by the league table come May.

A good start, but still more signings are needed.