Sory Diarra, captain of Haugesund and one of Hajduk's main targets, has extended his commitment to the Norwegian second-division club until 2028, ending speculation about a move to Poljud.
Hajduk's hopes of signing a new striker have suffered a serious blow. Sory Diarra, the 26-year-old Mali international who has been heavily linked with a move to Split in recent weeks, has signed a new two-year contract with Norwegian second-tier side Haugesund.
The club captain has extended his stay until the summer of 2028, the club announced. This effectively ends speculation about his transfer to Poljud in this transfer window. The news came after months of speculation about the striker's future, and the club's official website stated that this brings an end to further speculation about where he will be in the future, emphasizing that the answer, as it has been for the past three and a half years, is at Haugesund Sparebank Arena.
Diarra is currently playing the football of his life. In the 16 league matches so far, he has scored an impressive 23 goals, establishing himself as the key player and captain of the team. His goal-scoring run caught Hajduk's attention as early as late July, when, according to Lika Online, he had 20 goals in just 14 appearances.
Born on February 28, 2000, in Mali, Diarra stands 187 centimeters tall and plays as a central striker. He joined Haugesund in 2023 from Romanian club Petrolul, and has so far made 93 appearances and scored 44 goals for the Norwegian club. He began his career in his home country, and in the current season of the Norwegian second division (Obosligaen), he is leading the club towards the top of the table.
Diarra's previous contract was set to expire at the end of 2026, which put Haugesund in a difficult negotiating position. The club would have been almost forced to consider selling him this summer to avoid losing him for free. With the new contract, however, the situation has completely changed. Interested clubs now have to negotiate for a player tied down to a long-term deal, which significantly raises the price and complicates any transfer.
Haugesund's sporting director, Kristoffer Haraldseid, emphasized that Diarra's importance goes far beyond the number of goals scored, highlighting his captaincy role and influence on the team. He also presented the contract extension as a sign of the club's ambitions. "We have had a good dialogue with Sory, and we are happy to have a captain who has a big heart for the club. This has contributed to us now reaching an agreement on a new contract that runs until the summer of 2028. Sory's numbers speak for themselves, but as captain, he is also important in many areas beyond his role as a leader on match day. This contract extension is also an expression of the ambitions we have in Haugesund, and of course, it's great that this clarification is now in place," said Haraldseid.
The arrival of Diarra would likely have meant the end of Marko Livaja's era at Poljud. The relationship between Livaja and coach Gonzalo García remains uncertain after their clash during pre-season. Livaja was briefly removed from the squad, and now mostly comes off the bench in European matches. He started against Varaždin but missed a penalty that could have saved the team from defeat.
The first-choice striker in García's system remains Michele Šego, who has scored three goals this season. The Uruguayan coach values his running, his ability to press, and his commitment to the team. Although Hajduk has two quality and completely different strikers on paper, the transfer window is still open, and the question of Livaja's future remains unresolved. If the club wants to bring in another classic striker, they will have to look elsewhere. Recall that sporting director Robert Graf had already tried to strengthen the attack earlier, but the first target, Emmanuel Ekong, fell through after a knee injury requiring surgery was discovered during his medical in Split. In addition, Roko Brajković's injury has further highlighted the need for reinforcement up front, so Hajduk will now have to intensify their search elsewhere.
