Why Hasn't Toni Fruk Been Sold Yet?
Rijeka's best player has been waiting for a move abroad for three transfer windows now, and president Mišković won't budge from the €10 million asking price.
Rijeka's best player has been waiting for a move abroad for three transfer windows now, and president Mišković won't budge from the €10 million asking price.
The story of Toni Fruk's transfer from Rijeka is slowly turning into a summer soap opera that repeats year after year. Although the 25-year-old attacking midfielder has been at the center of speculation for three transfer windows now, there's still no concrete offer that would satisfy the ambitions of the club from Rujevica. Last summer, his departure seemed almost certain, winter rumors turned out to be just a faint "puff of smoke," and even this August, there's no movement from the "dead point."
After returning from the World Cup, where he didn't get any playing time for the Croatian national team, Fruk joined the preparations of the team now led by coach Matjaž Kek. In the last league match of the previous season against Gorica, he was substituted in the 76th minute to a standing ovation, which many interpreted as a farewell. But the transfer didn't happen.
Statistics don't lie, in three seasons at Rujevica, Fruk has played 141 matches, scored 39 goals, and provided 33 assists. He was the key cog in winning the double in the 2024/25 season and earned the status of a national team player. His current value on Transfermarkt is €9 million, one million less than last summer, which can serve as a kind of benchmark in the market.
Club president Damir Mišković has set clear conditions: the minimum fee for the best player is €10 million. Last summer, there was optimism at Rujevica that the transfer could reach between €10 and €15 million, but such an offer never arrived. Mišković earlier bought out the remaining percentage of the future sale from Fiorentina for €4 million, ensuring that the entire transfer fee stays in Rijeka's coffers. That move is a clear signal that he wants to break the club record held by Andrej Kramarić, who was sold to Leicester City in 2015 for €9 million.
Why can't a player who has dominated the SHNL for two seasons reach the desired fee? One of the main reasons lies in his age. At 25, Fruk is no longer a young talent with huge potential, but a mature footballer from whom results are expected immediately at a new club. When making big investments, clubs look to the future and potential resale, and if he were five years younger, Rijeka would already have the desired offers on the table.
The second key factor is nationality and background. If Fruk held a passport from one of the big footballing nations, English, German, Spanish, French, Portuguese, or Brazilian, those ten million euros would have been paid without much thought. Coming from the SHNL, no matter how quality the league is, doesn't carry the same weight on the international market as playing in the top five leagues.
Sportske novosti draws an interesting parallel with Dinamo's defender Sergio Dominguez. This 21-year-old Spaniard, a product of Barcelona's La Masia, is the subject of an intense marketing campaign by the Maksimir club, which is asking for a double-digit fee for him. Despite occasional "blunders" and flaws, his "pedigree" and youth create a different perception of value on the market.
"Never say never, but after three years in Rijeka, this is a natural progression. Given my and the club's goals and ambitions, work is certainly being done on a transfer that would satisfy all parties," Fruk said for Sportske novosti.
The final word will come from the football market, where everything can change overnight. An unexpected injury to an important player at a wealthy club or an urgent need for a replacement could speed up the process where not every million is scrutinized. Until then, Fruk just needs to keep performing well, because only that can bring a transfer that will satisfy both him and the club.
