The Croatian goalkeeper wants to leave after the club rejected a lucrative offer from the UAE, but the Spanish side won't budge without a fee of at least five million euros.
The future of Croatian goalkeeper Dinko Horkaš at Las Palmas hangs in the balance. The 27-year-old has made it clear to the club's management that he wants to leave, but president Miguel Ángel Ramírez has no intention of letting him go without adequate financial compensation. Speaking to journalists on Thursday, Ramírez confirmed that the club is demanding at least five million euros for their first-choice keeper.
Horkaš reportedly informed the club that it is "very difficult for him to continue playing" after the board turned down a lucrative offer from the United Arab Emirates. According to the president, the bid was worth four million euros, but spread over four years, which did not meet the demands of the Spanish second-division side.
Ramírez was very clear about the conditions under which Horkaš could leave the club. "Horkaš has a contract with Las Palmas, and he will remain our player if the offer doesn't satisfy the club. We're asking for five million euros as a one-time payment and 50 percent of any future transfer, while they're offering four million euros spread over four years," said Ramírez, without revealing which UAE club made the offer.
The club president didn't hesitate to send a somewhat sarcastic message to his goalkeeper, who is also reportedly attracting interest from Scottish side Celtic. "If he doesn't want to play, maybe he can help us mark the pitch or set up the nets," Ramírez said, making it clear that the club won't tolerate any form of pressure.
Born in Sisak, Horkaš came through Dinamo Zagreb's youth academy but never got his real chance at Maksimir. After loan spells at Zrinjski, Varaždin, and Posušje, and living in the shadow of national team goalkeeper Dominik Livaković, he decided to build his career outside Croatia. His journey first took him to Bulgarian side Lokomotiv Plovdiv, from where he joined Las Palmas on a free transfer in the summer of 2024.
Last season was his. In 43 appearances, he conceded 41 goals and was in contention for the Zamora-like award for the goalkeeper with the fewest goals conceded in Spain's Segunda División. Las Palmas finished the regular season in fifth place, but in the promotion playoffs to La Liga, Málaga proved better with a 2-1 aggregate score.
Horkaš is under contract with Las Palmas until June 2028, which gives the club a strong negotiating position. However, time is not on his side if he wants to leave this summer. According to Spanish media, the transfer window in Spain closes in 25 days, and besides the aforementioned Celtic and the UAE club, additional offers are expected to arrive.
At the same time, Ramírez brought the club's ambitions back down to earth, emphasizing that the priority is not an immediate return to the top flight, but securing their second-division status, and only then fighting for promotion.
