AA Gent have made a strong transfer by signing 31-year-old goalkeeper Daniel Schmidt. From a financial point of view, Schmidt’s arrival was an interesting alternative to previous target Hákon Valdimarsson, but also from a sporting point of view, his transfer is a masterstroke.
It is not for nothing that the Japanese goalkeeper is praised as one of the best goalkeepers in the Pro League.
AA Ghent must make peace with “plan B”
AA Gent has brought in a formidable competitor for Davy Roef: 31-year-old Daniel Schmidt. The Japanese has signed a contract with the Buffaloes until 2027, the year in which he will have the opportunity to reaffirm his status as one of the best goalkeepers in the Pro League.
Not only on a sporting level, but also financially, Gent made a good deal by attracting Schmidt.
The club had previously bet big on Hákon Valdimarsson, the Icelandic international who was named Sweden’s goalkeeper of the year at Elfsborg, but interest from other clubs, including Anderlecht and French clubs, has pushed Valdimarsson’s price to a level that Gent could not justify.
From Japan, meet Dan 🧤#COBW #Transfer pic.twitter.com/eBtaAsDSDm
— KAA Gent (@KAAGent) December 28, 2023
Schmidt turned out to be a significantly cheaper alternative, which played a decisive role in AA Gent’s decision. With the need to strengthen in January, the club can only afford ‘economic’ reinforcements.
Financial master deal by AA Gent
Sint-Truiden urgently needed to get rid of Daniel Schmidt in January, as his hefty salary had already been removed from the wage budgets the previous summer.
For this reason, STVV had already anticipated Schmidt’s departure by hiring the promising Zion Suzuki as the new first goalkeeper. As a result, Schmidt became Limburg’s fourth goalkeeper this season and withered into the B team.
Thus, AA Gent have now managed to sign Schmidt on a free transfer, as Sint-Truiden have mutually agreed to terminate his contract.
🐥 Schmidt and STVV parted as friends
👉Read the full article via:
🟡🔵 Good luck Daniele! pic.twitter.com/eYDAog3vKs
— STVV (@stvv) December 28, 2023
“On the one hand we respect Daniel’s professionalism, but on the other hand it is difficult to get a transfer fee at this time,” André Pinto, STVV’s sporting director, said on the club’s website.
“This is why we have mutually decided to terminate the contract. We thank Daniel for all his hard work and wish him the best.”
One of the best goalkeepers in Belgium
Daniel Schmidt’s arrival at AA Gent is a very nice transfer from AA Gent, considering that the Japanese has proven himself to be one of the best goalkeepers in the Pro League over the last four seasons.
Thorsten Fink, the current manager of Sint-Truiden, described Schmidt as a great goalkeeper and thought it was stupid that other clubs had not come for him last summer. Bernd Hollerbach, coach of Sint-Truiden last season, also called Schmidt an excellent goalkeeper and also the most underrated goalkeeper in Belgium.
𝘼𝙡𝙡 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝘾𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙢𝙖𝙨 …
Welcome, Daniele 🇯🇵🧤
MORE | pic.twitter.com/esFnzWLb6d
— KAA Gent (@KAAGent) December 28, 2023
He also suggested that the Japanese goalkeeper could compete effortlessly in the Bundesliga. Schmidt’s former teammate Christian Brüls, now at Zulte Waregem, even goes so far as to consider him a better goalkeeper than Maarten Vandevoordt, and the most complete goalkeeper in the first division.
Brüls even described Schmidt’s qualities as being at Champions League level.
Schmidt in the top five of the Pro League?
Daniel Schmidt is a sober and simple goalkeeper. Spectacle, spectacle and spectacular parades are not for him at all. The Japanese is not an attractive goalkeeper, but he just tries to do his job and that is to try to stop the balls.
Schmidt is professional, hardworking and consistent, except for a few rare mistakes. Last season he was one of the best goalkeepers in the Lega Pro and his numbers also demonstrate it. Last season he was one of the best goalkeepers in the Pro League, as confirmed by his statistics and his impressive numbers.
With a save percentage of 70%, he was in fifth place, behind Hervé Koffi (Sporting Charleroi), Jean Butez (Antwerp FC), Maarten Vandevoordt (KRC Genk) and Bart Verbruggen (RSC Anderlecht).
After Butez and Paul Nardi (AA Gent), he was on average the least passed goalkeeper in the Belgian competition. Schmidt performed at a high level in football last season as well.
He averaged 23 passes per game and was touched 17 times, placing the Japanese sixth in both categories respectively. In terms of passing accuracy, Schmidt was even the third best goalkeeper in the Pro League with 88%, after Nardi and Davy Roef… both from AA Gent.
2023-12-30 09:05:00
#Gent #hits #big #bang #JPL #topper
