Croatian international Franjo Ivanović weighs offers from England's Hull City and Spain's Real Betis, while Bernardo Silva delights in his first days at Real Madrid under Mourinho.
As the summer transfer window enters its final phase, several names from our region are capturing the attention of the football public. Croatian international Franjo Ivanović faces a crucial decision about his career, while a major move is also on the verge of completion for Bosnian striker Samed Baždar.
After a frustrating season at Benfica, where he saw limited playing time behind the excellent Greek striker Vangelis Pavlidis, the 22-year-old Franjo Ivanović knows he must move on. His former Rijeka coach, Sergej Jakirović, now at the helm of Hull City, was ready to break the club's transfer record to bring him in. The 'Tigers' offer exceeds €20 million, which comfortably meets Benfica's financial demands, as they paid €22.8 million for him last year.
However, Ivanović and his advisors are carefully weighing the offer. Hull City, who only secured promotion to the Premier League via the playoffs, are widely considered the favorites for relegation. Transfermarkt values their squad at £77 million, nearly three times less than their nearest rivals on the list, Coventry City, whose players are worth £221 million. Bookmakers share this view, with odds on Hull City's relegation set at just 1.20. The last Croatian to play for Hull City, Nikica Jelavić, was the team's top scorer in the 2014/15 season with eight goals, but the club still suffered relegation that year.
On the other hand, Real Betis offers a completely different perspective. The Seville-based club, whose Benito Villamarín stadium is located in the historic Heliopolis district, secured direct qualification for the Champions League under Manuel Pellegrini. With a high coefficient of 74.500, Betis are in Pot 2 of the draw, promising attractive European fixtures.
The issue lies in the transfer structure. Betis are not prepared to pay the fee Benfica demands upfront. According to Portuguese media, the Seville club would prefer a loan with an option to buy at the end of the season, leaving them the option to send the player back if he fails to meet expectations. Betis have had success in recent seasons with players who were written off elsewhere. Isco arrived on a free transfer and, at 34, is experiencing a second youth; Antony was bought for €22 million after a revival under Pellegrini; and Colombian striker Cucho Hernández, who joined in 2025, scored 15 goals last season.
After weeks of uncertainty, it seems Samed Baždar has finally found a new club. As reported by Spanish outlet AS, Real Zaragoza have officially accepted an offer from Belgian side Sint-Truiden for the 21-year-old Bosnia and Herzegovina international. Baždar has already traveled to Belgium, where final negotiations and administrative formalities await before signing the contract.
This transfer brings an end to the young striker's spell in Spain. A move to AIK Stockholm had already fallen through earlier this summer in the final stages of negotiations, so the Belgian club stepped in as a new solution.
Sint-Truiden will also feature in the Europa League qualifying playoffs this season, which could give Baždar a chance to prove himself on the international stage.
Far from transfer speculation, Bernardo Silva completed his first training session in a Real Madrid shirt. The Portuguese arrived in Madrid as a free agent from Manchester City and immediately joined the work under José Mourinho.
"It's very special and I'm very happy to be here. There's no need to talk about this club, because its history speaks for itself," Silva told Real Madrid TV after his first day. "I'm very happy to start this chapter, and I'll try to help this team continue winning, because that's what they know how to do."
He had special words of praise for his new coach. "Sometimes we were rivals, and now we're on the same team. He's a coach who means a lot to Portuguese football. Since I was young, we followed his teams a lot, and he always kept Portugal's name at the highest level. I'm very happy to start working and learning with him."
The Portuguese midfielder also revealed his football idols, including a former Real Madrid player. "I have many. Zinedine Zidane is one of them, without a doubt. Also Rui Costa, because he's a Benfica and Portugal player, and Luka Modrić, who was a great role model and example both on and off the pitch."
Silva said he is ready to play in multiple positions and that he had no doubts when the call from Madrid came: "When Real Madrid came calling, it was impossible to say no, and I didn't think twice."
