Raul Torrente heads on loan to French side Le Mans, with a potential one million euros heading to Dinamo's coffers under one condition. Rijeka unveils a young international and sends Dogan out on loan, while Bakrar bids an emotional farewell to Maksimir.
The transfer window in Croatia runs until September 7, and SHNL clubs are not resting. Dinamo has confirmed the departure of one striker and is close to sending a defender on loan, Rijeka has brought in a young international and resolved their striker issue, while Gorica has parted ways with a Frenchman. Additionally, Croatian internationals Josip Šutalo and Franjo Ivanović are edging closer to major moves abroad.
GNK Dinamo is sending its defender Raul Torrente (24) on loan to French side Le Mans. It is a loan with an option to buy, and the key detail lies in the condition: if Le Mans secures survival in Ligue 1 at the end of the season, the buyout obligation is triggered. In that case, one million euros would land in Dinamo's coffers.
The Spaniard has recovered from the serious knee injury that kept him out last season, but there is currently a major logjam at center-back in Dinamo. Coach Mario Kovačević has Scott McKenna, Sergio Dominguez, Niko Galešić, and Stjepan Radeljić at his disposal, so Torrente would struggle to get significant playing time. In the top tier of French football, Le Mans secured their place last season.
Torrente joined Dinamo from Granada in the summer of 2024. He made a total of 30 appearances for the Blues, scoring two goals and providing one assist. His new club, Le Mans, earned promotion back to Ligue 1 last season after 16 years. They achieved promotion by finishing second in Ligue 2, behind champions Troyes. According to Transfermarkt, the Spanish defender is valued at two and a half million euros, making the one-million-euro buyout clause relatively low. In addition to Torrente, Dinamo also has Marko Zebić in the center-back positions, further intensifying competition.
Dinamo today officially bid farewell to Monsef Bakrar (25). The Algerian striker continues his career at Egyptian club Al Ahly, the most decorated club in the world with 125 titles and the current Egyptian champions. According to earlier reports, the transfer was finalized for a fixed fee of three million euros, with a possible additional 500,000 euros in incentives.
The club from Maksimir posted an emotional message on social media: "You thought we forgot, but how to forget 18 goals in a season? Now it's official: Mounsef Bakrar is no longer a GNK Dinamo player, and he will continue his career with Egyptian side Al Ahly. We wish him luck in his new environment, plenty of success, and a host of goals. Dear Baki, thank you for everything!"
Rijeka has officially confirmed the arrival of young Croatian international Nikolas Matić (18), who has signed a two-year contract with an option for a further two. "I feel good, I'm very happy to have signed for Rijeka. I'll give my all to justify my arrival and I'm looking forward to the new opportunity," said Matić, who prefers the right-wing position: "I do well on the right side, but my favorite position where I feel best is right wing."
Rijeka is also active on other fronts. New signing Yusuf Kabadayi revealed that his friend from Dinamo, Gabriel Vidović, helped him decide to move to Rujevica. Club president Damir Mišković, in an interview with Torpedo Media, also revealed the plan for Toni Fruk: "If Toni isn't sold, we have a verbal agreement to extend his contract."
Striker Dominik Dogan (27) will spend this season on loan at second-division side Karlovac. This will be his second consecutive loan since joining Rijeka, as he made nine appearances and scored one goal for Mostar's Velež last season. Dogan exploded in the 2023/24 season when he scored 23 goals in 32 league appearances for Zrinski Osječki.
Josip Šutalo is again being linked with a move from Ajax to Benfica. Portuguese outlet Glorioso 1904 claims that the Croatian international's transfer to Lisbon is "gaining momentum" and presents him as the most likely solution for the center-back position following the departure of António Silva. Šutalo was not in Ajax's squad for the 2-0 win over PEC Zwolle, but Dutch outlet Ajax Life reports that the defender was not fit enough to play, so his absence should not be interpreted as confirmation of an imminent departure. Ajax reportedly wants around 15 million euros plus bonuses for a player whose contract runs until 2028.
Franjo Ivanović is expected to travel to Lens today to finalize a loan move from Benfica, with the French top-flight club also having an option to buy. Ivanović could have also gone to Lazio, whose coach Gennaro Gattuso stated: "The club did everything to bring Ivanović in, I spoke with him. Benfica gave the green light, but he decided to go to Lens."
French striker Theo Epailly is no longer a Gorica player. After playing 16 matches for the Croatian top-flight side, scoring one goal and providing one assist, a mutual termination of his contract was agreed. On the other hand, Igor Bišćan has been appointed as the new head coach of the UAE Under-23 national team.
