GNK Dinamo Zagreb has failed in its attempt to sign Jesper Lindstrøm. The club tried to bring in the Danish international, but the player decided to join Red Bull Salzburg instead, according to a report from Index.hr Sport.
Gianluce Di Marzija reported: "Dinamo nije uspio angažirati danskog reprezentativca Jespera Lindstrøma." The move collapsed despite Dinamo's desire to strengthen its attacking line. Lindstrøm is a 26-year-old winger or attacking midfielder who has made 18 appearances and scored one goal for the Danish national team.
Why was Lindstrøm a target for Dinamo?
Jesper Lindstrøm is a player with highly valuable experience in top European football. Before moving to Red Bull Salzburg, he was a Napoli player. The Italian club loaned him to Everton and VfL Wolfsburg, but neither of those two clubs exercised their purchase options. Lindstrøm returned to Napoli and was then sold to Salzburg.
His greatest value stems from his past at Eintracht Frankfurt. He joined Frankfurt in the summer of 2023 for a fee of 30 million euros. With that club, he won the UEFA Europa League in 2022. In his debut Bundesliga season, 2022/2023, he was named the league's best debutant. That experience and potential were the main reasons for Dinamo's interest.
How is Dinamo's season going?
Dinamo is currently third in the HNL standings with 10 points. From four matches played, it has three wins and one draw, with a recent form of DWWW. The club has scored 11 goals and conceded just three, giving it a goal difference of +8. In the title race, it trails leaders NK Osijek by only two points.
This start to the season shows the team is in good shape but is still looking for reinforcements for the long campaign. All player data is available on the squad page.
What happened with Lindstrøm?
Instead of coming to Maksimir, Jesper Lindstrøm signed for Red Bull Salzburg. Transfermarkt estimates the transfer fee to be around 4 million euros. That is significantly less than the 30 million euros Eintracht Frankfurt paid for him three years ago. Salzburg thus acquired an experienced player who has won a European trophy and holds international status.
For Dinamo, this was a missed opportunity to bring a top-quality player into its ranks. However, the club has strong alternatives in its existing squad.
What's next for Dinamo?
Dinamo must now focus on its next fixture. On September 5, 2026, it will host HNK Gorica at Maksimir. Gorica is currently tenth in the table, giving Dinamo a chance to secure more points. The detailed match schedule can be found on the fixtures page. The match against Gorica will be an opportunity to demonstrate the strength of the current squad without the new addition.
