Hajduk's coach confirmed he needs a defensive midfielder who dictates the tempo, and his former player from Twente has contacted him directly. However, the club has not yet officially made a move, and the key stumbling block is the salary of the Albanian international.
The story of Lindon Selahi's potential arrival at Hajduk has taken on a new dimension. The coach of the Whites, Gonzalo Garcia, confirmed ahead of Sunday's league clash with Istra 1961 at Poljud that the player himself initiated contact, but also that the club has not yet made a concrete move through official channels.
After the Split club convincingly celebrated against Žalgiris in Vilnius, the focus returns to the domestic championship where Hajduk will seek their first points following the defeat to Varaždin (2:1) at the season opener. It was precisely in the preview of that match that Garcia revealed the background of his connections with the Albanian midfielder.
Garcia was clear in describing the profile of player he needs in the team. "We need such a player. He must be defensively strong and must be able to dictate the tempo of the match", said the Hajduk coach, then revealed that Selahi, whom he knows well from their shared days at Twente, has already contacted him.
"He called me at the opening of the transfer window to see what the possibilities were and whether we needed a player with such characteristics, but as far as I know, the club is not in contact with him" - Gonzalo Garcia, Hajduk coach
This statement reveals a gap between the player's desire and the coach's need on one hand, and the club's official stance on the other. While Garcia clearly indicates that he needs such a player profile, Hajduk has not yet taken official steps.
On the other hand, Selahi's agent Adrian Aliaj has a somewhat different version of the story. He confirmed to Index that Hajduk's interest is indeed concrete and that there have already been talks about a possible loan. "Hajduk called me multiple times and we discussed the possibility of a loan", Aliaj stated.
However, despite mutual interest, the realization of the deal is far from simple. The key obstacle is financial in nature, which the agent summarized in one sentence: "The problem is the salary."
Selahi's situation at his parent club Widzew works in favor of a potential transfer. The Albanian midfielder has spent just nine minutes on the pitch in the first two rounds of the Polish championship, and his club has only earned two points. With a contract binding him for another two years, Widzew is, according to information, open to a loan, but under the condition that the club bringing him in takes over his entire salary.
It is precisely this financial burden that currently represents the main brake in negotiations. Although Garcia sees in Selahi a player who could bring a new dimension to the midfield with his defensive characteristics and ability to control the tempo, it remains to be seen whether Hajduk's management will be willing to meet the demands of the Polish club before the transfer window closes.
