With less than 48 hours to go until one of Croatia’s most important qualifiers to date, Goal.com has reported that Croatian international, Danijel Pranjić, is on his way to play for German giants, Bayern Munich, next season. Pranjić has said that he will take a physical for Bayern two days after the Ukraine match and then sign a three-year deal.
This is an excellent move for Pranjić as he will be playing for a German contender as well as Champions League next season. Remember that Ivica Olić inked a deal to play for Bayern this past winter and Darijo Srna has even been rumored to play for the Bavarian side.
Will three Croatians be playing for Bayern Munich next season?
Thanks to Ivica for breaking this story early Thursday morning!
Hajduk striker, Nikola Kalinić, has also been reported to be moving to Palermo of the Italian Serie A by CSR Italian correspondent, Roberto Italia. This transfer has been rumored for quite some time but information from Italy is saying that a deal can be confirmed in writing between Palermo and Kalinić sometime next week. Stay tuned!
In other Italian-related transfer news, 21 year-old Slaven Belupo midfielder, Mato Jajalo, has signed a five year contract with AC Siena. Jajalo has scored five goals in 50 appearances for Slaven and three goals in 10 matches for Croatia’s U-21 team since 2007.
Welcome to ‘Croatians Around Europe’ Mato: don’t disappoint!
On a side note: For those of you not being able to catch the game live, CSR will be Twittering the action live on the site and at Twitter.com/CroatianSoccer. If you do not have internet access, you can also receive live text messages straight to your phone via Twitter. Feel free to email at CroatianSoccerReport@gmail.com if you have any questions.
Pranjic's old club's management at Heerheven are really sketchy with how they keep raising the transfer price after they already agreed to a price with Bayern. Can't FIFA or UEFA step in and straighten them out? Why should a pro athelete have to worry about this? Who would want to play with a club like that?
I agree with you. I just wanted to say that there is talent left. However, those guys still have to make their breakthrough, it is somewhat promising though. I think Domagoj Vida will be a star, thats a no brainer. Bringing him back to his natural position of Central Defensive Midfield was the best move. As for Smrekar, well, I will cut him some slack because he is very young, I dont think he has hit 20 yet. Lets just hope that some new kids come out of the wood work. I am a HUGE fan of Ivan Gudelj and all he has done for a junior program, hoping he can bring some more gems out.
i think all those players you mentioned are decent, but all should stay at the clubs they are at as are yet to establish themselves. Smrekar for example should really have hit more goals this season. Sadly the only strikers above 10 goals that are bright prospects was Mandza, Vrucina, Kalinic, Sharbini and Zec – the others were old stalwarts that are not gonna move now like Vugrinec and Mumlek.
I doubt really Hajduk or Dinamo could take a chance on those young prospects till a year or two. There is so much to lose and we know both our fans can get angry when results go wrong and anarchy can break loose. I think Dinamo and even Hajduk still have much to lose. My opinion on Sivonjic is that when we chucked out Sokota and Balaban in favour of him and Slepicka it was a gamble. Especially as we are still trying to mature Josip Tadic. Sivonjic is a nice player to have on the bench. I want us to sign a new number 9 though. Mandza was never meant to be our number 9 it was supposed to be Balaban or Sokota – but things went a bit wrong along with Drpic there seemed to be a bit of discontent in the squad which is prob why those three have now gone. Big gamble though. We have to find a replacement for Balaban as Sivonjic and Slepicka replaces Sokota and Kovac replaces Drpic short term. Personally i like Badelj, Tomecak and Lovren, but am not keen on Barbaric. He looked poor in the last games of the season when we tried him.
You mention Zec and Traore i think Hajduk should take them both asap. Traore is not expensive. The HNL2 side he is at will let him go for responsible money. Hajduk can start him on the bench and he could be a star. Zec will be a gamble as he will be expensive. Hajduk may have to pay 1million Euro for him and ideally Hajduk like all there player on free deals or paying 500,000 at the most. If Gabric and Ibricic goes i think there are replacements for example Ivica Banovic can be persuaded to leave Frieburg as they don't guarentee him a starting jersey and he is on a free. Mladen Bartulovic to replace Gabric is another possibility. He is still young and although Dnipro don't fancy him he had a good loan spell at Krivbass. Even to loan him for a year will work out. To be honest if Kalinic goes to Palermo i don't expect to see Budan there next season also cos of the foreign players ruling. Budan prob will appear in a smaller Serie A side or strong Serie B club. Personally i think Budan may find more joy at Hajduk though as HNS pay more attention to you if you play at Hajduk or Dinamo.
@ DinamoFan – I dont think Igor Budan will go to Croatia, not for a few years. I was in Croatia, backpacked across the rest of Europe for a month in February. I flew to watch Dinamo vs Hajduk on Feb 22, on my flight to Rome a day later, Budan was on my flight. We chatted for a bit in Rome as we were waiting for our connections, he was off to the south, me to Milan. Hes a great guy, very down to earth. I asked about the leg, he said rehab is going great, and that he signed a long term contract. He actually made the bench on Palermo for the last 2 games. I imagine that he will be in Italy for a few more years.
To answer your question, I like Zec. To be honest, I would much rather have Croatians on Hajduk, a mix of youngsters and veterans. I embraced the signing of Ibricic, hes a quality footballer. I cant imagine the signing of Zec, if it happens, being greeted with negativity. I think the signing of Traore, if it happens, would be great. Hopefully the fans embrace him and end the racist bullshit which makes all Croatians look bad. One interesting thing will be to see if Hajduk recalls Marin Ljubicic from Zadar. From what I read, he was only there on loan.
I know I said that there will be no talent left, there is. However, its a notch below Kalinic, Mandzukic and Sharbini. I like players like Besart Abdurahimi, Jurica Pranjić, Josip Knežević, Domagoj Vida, Alen Pamić, Igor Prahić, Matija Smrekar, Franjo Tepurić, Arijan Ademi. There are good goalie prospects like Daniel Subasic, Antonio Ježina, Matej Delač. Dinamo will be calling up players like Kramaric, Domagoj Antolic next year to join Badelj, Barbaric, Lovern and Tomecak in the first team. Mate Males out on loan. Hajduk still has Maloca and Jozinovic, as well as Ticinovic.
So, there is still some hope, BUT, alot of those players have allot to prove. I think Domagoj Vida is going to be damn good. I have read allot about Domagoj Antolic as well. Apparently, hes the closest thing like Modric in the Dinamo academy. As a Dinamo fan, I am sure you are aware, with someone like Sivonjic, who had a great first half to the season, which got Dinamos attention. Before this year, nobody was really talking about Sivonjic. Hopefully some of the kids above make similar strides. They are at the age where they should start to separate themselves from the rest.
How about Igor Budan? They could loan him for a year as his careers going nowhere in Italy at the momen although i hear his contract is a bit silly and god knows who really owns him.
Yes i've actually thought about that too – I think Kalinic, Vrucina, Zec, Mandza and Sharbini will move. Kalinic, Anas and Vrucina only have one year on their contracts so their clubs really have no choice but to sell this summer. Well its the same old story – clubs will have to begin from scratch again. I'm not looking forward to next season – i am exciting as a Dinamo fan, but not as a follower of the HNL. 16 teams with all the best players going abroad is a bad combination.
I'm not sure who there is for Hajduk to sign if they don't lose Kalinic as expected and Vrucina goes to Moscow. If you look around Europe as well Deranja who was a ex Hajduk favorite was going to be a free agent but he's signed a new contract at Mouscron. Mate Bilic prob won't come back to Croatia as he's made his best season in his career to date so will want to stay in a stronger league.
Benko as you would be a decent signing as he's still only 25 and as a second striker would be better than fellows like Busic and Bartolovic. After that their is not much around – Ljubojevic may or may not stay at Genk and prob still has a reputation in Belguim. Balaban is available 🙂 Jelavic is apparently going to Sturm Graz as that deal is almost signed. I can see Hajduk signing Foreign players to replace Kalinic. I think Gabric could move. He's had a good season. He's one guy you can say has had a consistent season. If i was at a foreign club i'd be interested in Gabric. I quite like his floaty crosses. What do you think to Ermin Zec? What Hajduk fans want him?
Hajduk have not hid their desire to sell Kalinic or Ibricic this summer. I have heard nothing of a move for Gabric, I think he will make his move next summer. I really don't mind them gambling on a player like Benko, hes not a bad player, has scored some goals for some Grade B European Leagues. If they make a move for Bosnjak, I am officialy retiring my Hajduk jerseys and will start to support Osijek or Rijeka. I must admit, with an impending switch to the League of 16, and "IF" Kalinic, Mandzukic, Sharbini and Vrucina all move this summer, there will not be much talent left in the league.
My appologies, I was reading the article at 3 in the morning, in the dark. It said they were scouting him when he was impressive last summer against CSKA.
Vrucina close to sign at FC Moscow, read more here
http://www.hns-latest.com/database/transfer-rumor/
I'm 100% totally for all three of these transfers. Pranjic to Bayern is perfect and with Olic there he will settle easier. The quicker Kalinic and Mandza move out of HNL the better as can't work if they are good or not when keepers are throwing their shots in the net like last weekend. Kalinic to Palermo is suitable as it seems he wants to play in Italy.
I think Vrucina to FK Moscow sounds better than to CSKA. CSKA are big fish these days. They have so many strikers already so yeah i think FK Moscow would guarentee him first team football whereas CSKA wouldn't. I think that deal would only be for £1 or 2m which means Belupo will have around £3 to spend next season. Not bad ey and none of the money passed through Mamics hands. Can only be good for HNL as we know Belupo will buy off other HNL clubs. It does mean though that if Hajduk lose Gabric, Ibricic and Kalinic that if they can't get Vrucina the number of adequate replacements will become less. There is Zec, but he'll prob go abroad as well. They might have to gamble on someone from abroad like Benko or Bosnjak. Not really adequate prep for Europa Liga though if all the Kalinic replacements are being taken.
I heard the rumor was for FC Moscow. It's kinda tough to follow because Moscow has around 6-7 first league teams.
*** BREAKING NEWS ***
Apparently, Bojan Vrucina is very close to a move to CSKA Moscow.
Also, with the news that another Croat will be going to play in Germany, I have decided to share this article on the Bundesliga. I personally enjoy reading soccernet.com for their exposes on various European leagues. Enclosed is a link to a piece written a few days ago by their Bundesliga correspondent. In case you guys weren't aware, the Bundesliga has been the highest scoring league since 1989. Each year, same result, more goals are scored in the Bundesliga. I think its interesting since we have so many countrymen there.
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=652366&sec=europe&root=europe&cc=5901