The transfer window has officially ended, so it's time to take stock of Hajduk's transfer market. Of course, there are still signings to be made, there are still a solid number of free agents, but it's safe to assume that the personnel crossword puzzle has been more or less solved.
The arrival of Gonzalo Garcia
The very beginning of the transfer window focused on the somewhat soap opera of bringing in a new coach. Hajduk wanted Garcia, Garcia wanted Hajduk, even turning down Dinamo, but Istra did not want to let the head coach go without a fight. It was eventually settled by paying around 300 to 400 thousand in compensation, and there are many rumors that the Pula sports director was also due to leave for Split at about the same time. However, if this is true, Bjelanović ultimately opted for a more peaceful job, Vučević became the sports director and not a member of the board of directors. Bjelnović was allegedly rewarded for this decision with a more lucrative contract in Istra.
The arrival of the new coach was a clear signal that there had to be a change in the playing staff, Gonzalo Garcia is a completely different coach than Gennaro Gattuso. With a specific style of play, based on possession, combinatorial ball changes, a kind of pulling the opponent into pressing. The past two months will show that the Uruguayan expert with Spanish football DNA is ready to adapt, Osijek was the biggest victim of that, they got ready for one way of playing Hajduk, and then they experienced a shock when the game through the middle was neatly skipped.
Adrion Pajaziti is a pleasant surprise
However, almost at the beginning of the transfer window, Pajaziti and Karačić arrived, players with HNL experience, although the Albanian international was formally brought in from Fulham. It was immediately clear that Pajaziti, who himself said that contacts with Hajduk have been ongoing since the spring, is a player who was brought in with the idea that his playing style suits the new coach. And so far, he has surprisingly fulfilled expectations, no one could have thought that he would be so successful. Karačić, on the other hand, brought positional defensive stability and play on breakaways. Two goals in a month and a half of the season, he would have already stood out last year with his realization.
Doubts of Hajduk and the defense
The situation with the defense was a bit chaotic and is actually the only real minus of this deadline. Not now when you look at the final result, Šarlija, Mlačić, Rači, Gonzales, Diallo can cover, Skelin will return, that's a good width. However, Prpić was sold right at the start of the season, Porto has been following him for months, it was likely that he would leave. Let's note that this is a great situation for the future, Prpić is at a club that is a great springboard for top teams, Vušković has blown Europe away, the opinion is being born that top young stoppers are being created in Split, the future is bright for Mlačić and Skelin. However, just after Prpić, Uremović leaves quite abruptly, the club's most reliable stopper for seasons, Murphy's laws also intervene and Skelin gets injured, the defense is at one point played by Šarlija, who was written off last year, and the debutant Mlačić, who 95 percent of fans had not even heard of before this season. Even if they are quite attentive followers.
The general attitude in today's football is that if you have a well-coordinated central defender pair, you can never completely break them in one transfer window. However, Hajduk was conditioned by money, Prpić brought almost five million euros, Uremović brought some cash and removed one of the three biggest contracts in the club, all of which is understandable. However, the impression remains that they should have reacted with substitutions sooner, and not allowed Rača to not be able to play European matches when he arrives, because he played for Priština in Europe. We can fool ourselves, but this is one of the situations that contributed to the team's elimination from Europe. It is not the only reason, and with a junior defense, Hajduk should have passed both Dinamo and City, but it did not help at all. However, we will further explain the story of Europe and Hajduk tomorrow in a separate article. The key thing is that the timing with the defense was simply not good, although the final result is not bad. And the situation has created a new great potential, Mlačić is the winner of this turbulence, he would hardly have had this much playing time this season, he took advantage of the sudden sales and Skelin's injury.
The Spaniards are coming.
In the end, the transfer window took on a Latin touch, Edgar Gonzales, Hugo Guillamon and Iker Almena, three Spaniards, never before had so many in Hajduk at once, in fact, the only one we can think of without lengthy checks was the experiment with Magant. Unsuccessful. However, this trio has much greater playing weight, about Almena a little later, but Edgar should give additional stability to the defense, and Hugo is a gamble for Hajduk that could pay off many times over. He is a defensive midfielder who was so talented that he played for the Spanish national team, of which he was also a member at the World Cup in Qatar, although without playing there. He is a guy who has fallen into a crisis, primarily psychological, but if he were to reach 70 percent of his potential, Hajduk would have Mišić on steroids. The impression is that this is a guy who is not fully focused on football, he also graduated in biomedicine, the times when Socrates could be a pediatrician, alcoholic and top footballer at the same time are gone. Hugo's desire to make a move, because he could certainly sign for someone in Spain and have a much better contract, is an optimistic indicator that he has decided to reset his career and show that he is still worth it today. The aggravating circumstance is that if he shows his talent next season, he will almost certainly not wear the Hajduk jersey, make no mistake, Spanish clubs will be watching the HNL closely because of him. Let's note that Hajduk's main opponent also decided to take a similar gamble, Dinamo brought in Benacer, a top player who is struggling with form after a serious injury. Whose gamble paid off in the end and could actually significantly direct the HNL season.
Almena and Rebić as factor x
I left Almena for a separate section, because I think he could be one of the two x factors for Hajduk, along with Ante Rebić. First of all, Ante, his engagement somehow came about quietly, Hajduk even acted quite blackmailingly, but Rebić seems to have wanted him home at all costs. Reliable information says that he had offers from Western Europe that were more than twice as strong as what he got here. The public somehow passed over that transfer lightly, they believe that the time when he torpedoed Argentina is far behind him. However, Rebić is a hard-headed Imotska Krajina player, you can destroy Argentina, you can be the best offensive player of the newly awakened Eintracht, you can be important in Serie A, but until you have achieved something at home, you have done nothing. It's a matter of focus, if Rebić maintains that, Hajduk will be at the top only on his and Livaja's playing quality. And Almena has already shown at the age of 21 that he is a player with special thoughts. First he escaped from City's feeder (the real City, not the one from Tirana), because he was not satisfied that they brought in a reinforcement of almost 20 million euros to his position after Savinha left, went to Arabia for three to four million dollars a year, and then returned to Europe for much less money. A huge football talent, a player who should create chances for Livaj and Rebić. One of those transfers when you wonder "what is this player doing in the HNL".
We close the story of arrivals with Ivušić, the situation is simple there. Hajduk has entered the opportunity to bring in a representative goalkeeper for little money. Who really wants to come to your ranks. The question can now be asked whether this limited Silić to show his talent, which in my opinion he has for export. But the fact is that no club in the world will miss the opportunity to bring in a representative goalkeeper for little money and there is nothing more to say about that. The only logical move is made, if the season is about two or three points, goalkeepers of Ivušić's rank are the ones who make the difference and ultimately bring titles, although they are rarely recognized for it.
Loaned to Lokomotiv again
As for the departures, we worked on the defense more or less, it was quite chaotic and at times irrational, and let's also note that Lučić and Diallo did not leave, although logic dictates that now was the moment for it. Žaper was released on loan from the midfield, his problem with returning after injury is obvious, it remains a philosophical and moral question whether it was possible to find another destination for him, instead of sending the player to Kaizerica. In the last days of the mercato, Benrahou also left, considering the last performances, it's a shame, but on the other hand, this is a player who plays in amplitudes and who is a potential mine in the locker room, he has distinct problems with focusing on training and the game. At first, the loss of a center kick for the team was immediately visible, but Almena should solve it.
Ivan Rakitic as a gain
Finally, we have to say something about the coaching staff. Vučević as sports director and Pep Boada as head scout almost guaranteed the arrival of some Spaniards, and the names that came deserve a thumbs up. However, one person is the biggest positive surprise. It is always questionable how someone will transition from football boots to a suit, but Ivan Rakitic has proven to be valuable material in Hajduk after just two months. He has proven to be a good finisher in negotiations, and it is no surprise that his call to potential reinforcements makes a difference. This is a footballer who was respected everywhere he played, and he played for Schalke, Sevilla and Barcelona, not TŠK Topolovac. It is no small thing for Andres Iniesta to put you in the top 11 teammates with whom he shared the dressing room, the man simply has weight, and he obviously knows how to use it. And somewhat bizarrely, when history books someday deal with this period of Hajduk, they may have to write that the most important arrangement this transfer window was Rakitic's.
Photo: hajduk.hr
