The goalkeeper of Spanish club Rayo Vallecano and North Macedonia national team, Stole Dimitrievski (28 years old), has become the center of competition in the current winter transfer market between Saudi club Al-Nassr and Spanish club Barcelona, according to media reports on Wednesday, January 12.
Barcelona is in contact with Stole Dimitrievski's agent. According to Spanish radio station "Cadena SER," Barcelona has reached out to the player’s agent to strengthen their goalkeeping position following the poor performances of German keeper Marc-André ter Stegen, as well as the decline in form of his Brazilian substitute, Norberto Murara (Neto). Barcelona has agreed on most points with the agent, but there has been no progress in negotiations with Rayo Vallecano, which wants to block the transfer.
Al-Nassr is advanced in negotiations for Stole Dimitrievski. Similarly, Saudi club Al-Nassr has reached advanced stages in negotiations with Rayo Vallecano's management to secure the services of Stole Dimitrievski for €3.5 million, according to renowned Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano. Rayo Vallecano has welcomed Al-Nassr's offer, but with the condition that the transfer to the Riyadh club occur starting next season, not in the current winter market.
Who is goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski, sought by Al-Nassr? The experienced Stole Dimitrievski (188 cm tall) has guarded the net of Rayo Vallecano since 2018, having transferred from Gimnàstic in the second division for €900,000. Since then, he has played 102 matches for the club and has a contract extending until the summer of 2024, with a market value of approximately €2.5 million according to "Transfermarkt."
Stole Dimitrievski and the dream of qualifying for the Qatar 2022 World Cup. Dimitrievski has 52 appearances with the North Macedonian national team, starting his international career in 2015. Currently, he has successfully placed third in his group for the European qualifiers for the Qatar 2022 World Cup, which has put him in the playoffs alongside Italy, Turkey, and Portugal.
Dimitrievski hopes to lead North Macedonia to the World Cup for the first time when they face European champion Italy in the European playoffs in March. If successful, he will face the winner of the Turkey vs. Portugal match in the group final.
What has Stole Dimitrievski accomplished this season with Rayo Vallecano? The towering keeper has played 18 matches for Rayo Vallecano in La Liga this season, keeping 6 clean sheets. He ranks fifth among La Liga goalkeepers in saves, averaging 3 saves per match. Dimitrievski has faced a total of 53 shots on his goal throughout the 18 rounds and was selected by the European football statistics network "WhoScored" for the La Liga Team of the Season for the first half of the current season.
