GNK Dinamo Zagreb has been at the center of transfer stories this week, with a rejected offer for a key striker and the departure of a former player to the Portuguese league. The club received a major offer for Dion Beljo but decided to keep their top scorer.
Dinamo turned down a serious offer for Dion Drena Beljo this summer, his manager Srdjan Lakic confirmed in a podcast for Gol.hr. Lakic said the offer came from a club in one of Europe's top five leagues but declined to reveal details as neither club officially published the information. "When a club has such a stance that it is not ready to let its main player go for such an offer, that speaks volumes about how much the club values the player," Lakic stated for the portal.
Beljo is in excellent form, having scored 38 goals in 48 appearances last season, and has already netted eight times in ten matches this campaign. His contract with Dinamo runs until the summer of 2030, and Transfermarkt estimates his market value at 12 million euros. The manager emphasized that Beljo is happy in Zagreb and still has things he wants to achieve with the club.
Gabriel Rukavina is no longer a player of HNK Rijeka, having signed for Portuguese top-flight club Arouca. Rukavina left Rujevica after two seasons, during which he won the domestic double with the club. For Rijeka, he played 62 matches and scored four goals, including important strikes against Hajduk in the cup and Gorica in a league match.
Rukavina arrived at Rijeka from Dinamo in July 2024, and according to Index's information from that time, the two clubs agreed to split any future transfer fee 50:50. Financial details of the move to Arouca have not been disclosed. At his new club, he will reunite with Nais Djouahar, who also passed through Rijeka before moving to Portugal.
Dinamo enters this phase of the season third in the Croatian Football League table. The club has 10 points from four matches played, with three wins and one draw. In their last four matches, they have recorded a sequence of a draw and three wins, shown in the DWWW form.
They have been particularly efficient in attack, with 11 goals scored and only three conceded, giving them a goal difference of +8. They currently trail leaders NK Osijek by just two points, which will be tested next weekend.
Dinamo's next challenge will be an away match against leaders NK Osijek on Saturday, September 12, 2026. This will be a direct clash for the top of the table in the early stage of the season. Before that important encounter, the team has a week to prepare.
Dinamo currently has good rhythm and confidence following a solid start to the season. Given their goalscoring form and solid defense, this match against Osijek represents the first major test of their title ambitions. A detailed schedule of all upcoming matches can be found on the fixtures page. Dion Beljo will certainly be a key factor in this encounter, after the club decided to retain their top scorer despite a major offer.
