Metalurg have added four new players to their squad before the start of the UEFA Europa League qualifications.
Metalurg is getting ready for the new season in which they have ambitions to win the league title and make a run in the Europa League qualifications. After the initial signings of Aleksandar Dalcheski and Milan Ristovski, Metalurg has now added four more players in Shkendija’s trio of Oliver Peev, Kemal Alomerovikj and Vladimir Nikitović to go along with Ohrid’s Antonio Kalanoski, daily newspaper Makedonski Sport reported.
Oliver Peev has played for Vardar, Teteks and Shkendija domestically before his latest adventure with Metalurg. Internationally, meanwhile, he had a brief spell with Turkish second division side Boluspor. Peev is coming off a solid season with Shkendija in which he compiled 8 goals and 1 assist. Kemal Alomerovikj joined Shkendija during the winter transfer window earlier in the year and also performed well for the Tetovo based club. He partook in 14 games, scoring 2 goals and providing 7 assists. Kemal is an experienced midfielder who has changed more then 10 clubs throughout his career. Serbian central defender Vladimir Nikitović is the last player to leave Shkendija and join the runners-up from last season in Metalurg. Along with his countryman Goran Dragović and veteran Igor Kralevski, they will make up an experienced center defense which should bring stability in the back.
Antonio Kalanoski, the talented youngster from Ohrid, has also joined Metalurg. He is the latest former Ohrid player to move to the club based in Avtokomanda. Aleksandar Dalcheski joined Metalurg recently, while Hristijan Dimoski and Filip Mitreski also left Ohrid for Metalurg in the winter transfer window. The arrival of Kalanoski makes it four former Ohrid players moving to Metalurg in the span of just six months. Kalanoski is an offensive midfielder who was formerly a member of Macedonian U17 national team and now features for the U19 team.
Metalurg played their first friendly match of the summer in the city of Ohrid. They faced Albanian side Flamurtari and lost 0:1. Metalurg are now waiting for the 25th of June, the date for the draw of the UEFA Europa League qualifiers, to see which club their will face in the first round of the qualifications. Although six new players have already joined the club, it is no secret that Metalurg is still looking for another striker and they could announce new transfers in the near future. One possibility is Bazhe Ilijoski who is training with the club in Ohrid, according to newspaper Nova Makedonija. Bazhe was looking to leave Romanian side Braşov and join a bigger club, but if no enticing offer arrives, then he could rejoin Metalurg to strengthen them for the start of the Europa League qualifications.