Name: Jan Oblak
Club: Atletico Madrid
Date of Birth: 7 January 1993
Position: Goalkeeper
JAN OBLAK – HIS CAREER SO FAR
There aren’t many sports fans out there who are not familiar with the goalkeeping giant that is Jan Oblak. The current Atletico Madrid no.1 joined the Rojiblancos back in 2014/15 season and even though it seems like he’s been around for ages, the Slovenian goalie is only 27 years old. His footballing career, however, didn’t exactly begin in Spain but rather back in his home country.
As a young lad, Oblak used to ply his trade for Olimpija’s U19 squad, where he had been playing ever since he was just ten years of age. Those first years were quite turbulent as well, and with the team eventually dissolving and Oblak quickly rising through the ranks, he found a new home at Olimpija Ljubljana, where he spent a year between 2009 and 2010.
But despite the obvious talent behind the big Slovenian keeper, there were a series of tiresome steps awaiting him before he could finally settle in the Spanish capital. His big move to Benfica came in 2010 but was soon followed by various loan spells at Beira-Mar, Olhanense, Uniao de Leiria, Rio Ave and Benfica’s B team. He would, however, finally get his chance with the seniors in 2013/14, quickly impressing by keeping several clean sheets along the way as Benfica surged through Europa League with Oblak’s two clean sheets in four games, ultimately winning him the Best Goalkeeper of the Year award in 2014.
That very summer, Atletico Madrid officially confirmed his transfer and a young Oblak would pack his bags for Spain. Fast forward six years into the future and he is largely recognised as one of the best goalkeepers on the planet – if not the very best – and has amassed a total of 139 clean sheets across 256 games played for the Rojiblancos.
And seeing how Atletico Madrid had to splash around €16m (£14.4m) to land his signature, making him La Liga’s most expensive goalkeeper in the history of the competition, it was a risk that ended up paying off. Oblak would go on to win numerous individual honours along the way, including four Zamora Trophies in a row between 2015/16 and 2018/19, and quite a few Team of the Year inclusions.
Collectively, he has won one Spanish Supercup, one Europa League trophy and one UEFA Super Cup with Atletico Madrid, finishing a runner-up in the 2015/16 Champions League as well.
TRANSFER LATEST
Interestingly enough, there have been multiple transfer rumours and transfer news linking Oblak with a move away from Atletico Madrid in recent times. The latest update comes from the Evening Standard and the outlet claims the Slovenian goalie is on Chelsea’s radar.
The Blues would love to further improve their squad despite some big-name signings that had already been finalised beforehand, and Atletico Madrid’s star is one of the players they particularly like.
Oblak, however, has a contract until 2023 and it doesn’t seem likely that Diego Simeone will let him go without a fight. In fact, in some other Atletico Madrid news, Enrique Cerezo, the club’s president, has reportedly made a claim that the goalie will indeed remain in the squad.
It will be interesting to follow the latest developments as more transfer rumours start popping up.
PLAYER PROFILE
Oblak very much fits into the mould of a more traditional goalkeeper. While the modern men between the sticks are heavily involved in the build-up play of their squads, the Slovenian is largely known for his exceptional reflexes and shot-stopping ability. He is also not too tall for a goalkeeper, standing at 6 ft 2 in, but uses his positioning and intuition to give himself the best possible chance of a brilliant save.
As alluded to, he wouldn’t exactly be described as a sweeper-keeper since the work he’s doing with his feet is not as remarkable as his pure goalkeeping abilities. However, at the end of the day, not many others can go toe to toe with Oblak and he is surely in the conversation for the best goalkeeper on the planet.
