GNK Dinamo Zagreb have officially confirmed the signing of Spanish winger Iker Almena. The player arrives on loan from Saudi Arabian side Al-Qadsiah until the end of the season, and the club has included a purchase option in the deal, as reported by Net.hr Sportski.
This move was finalised in the final hours before the deadline for registering players for the Europa League, securing an offensive reinforcement for the squad. Almena is known to Croatian audiences from his loan spell at Hajduk last season and will now play for their eternal rivals.
What does Almena bring to Dinamo?
Iker Almena is a 22-year-old attacker who can play on either wing or as a central forward. He is a product of Barcelona's La Masia academy and played for Spanish side Girona before his move to Saudi Arabia. He brings pace, dribbling, and one-on-one ability to Dinamo.
According to earlier information reported by Gol.hr, Dinamo will have the option to buy Almena for around 1.5 million euros after the loan ends. His arrival gained extra attention due to a social media move where he deleted posts related to Hajduk just before the transfer to Zagreb.
What are Dinamo's finances from the Europa League?
Dinamo have secured significant revenue from their participation in the Europa League this season. According to calculations by Football Meets Data, cited by Index.hr Sport, the club has already earned at least 14.9 million euros. This sum includes the initial payment for reaching the group stage, qualification bonuses, and UEFA's coefficient-based share.
In the group stage, Dinamo will play eight matches. Each win brings 450,000 euros, and a draw is worth 150,000. Additional money can be earned through progression in the competition. These funds provide the club with added financial stability for future plans.
How is Dinamo II performing in the second league?
Dinamo's second team has secured its first victory in the SuperSport First NL. In an away match at Vukovar, they defeated the hosts by a high score of 6:2, which, according to the Index.hr Sport report, was their first goal in the third round of the competition. The second-team project was restarted this season after a four-year hiatus.
The team, led by Jerko Leko, has an average age just over 18 years. The goal is to develop young players and ease their transition from youth to senior football. This first win is a positive sign for the project's development.
What is Dinamo's position in the HNL?
Dinamo currently occupies third place in the Croatian Football League. After four matches played, the club has 10 points, with three wins and one draw. Their recent form reads DWWW.
They have scored 11 goals and conceded only three, giving them a positive goal difference of +8. They trail league leaders NK Osijek by just two points. Their next challenge is already on September 5th at Maksimir against HNK Gorica, who sit 10th in the table. Details on all upcoming fixtures can be found on our fixtures page.
Was Dinamo interested in Esmir Bajraktarević?
According to reporting by the Oslobođenje portal, the name of Bosnian-Herzegovinian international Esmir Bajraktarević was linked with several clubs during the summer. Among the interested parties was Dinamo, as also noted by 24sata Sport. However, the transfer was not completed and the player remained at PSV.
Now, according to the same sources, Bajraktarević is on the verge of a loan move to Hajduk Split. Dinamo, however, has successfully concluded other transfer business and is preparing for the continuation of the season on three fronts. The current squad and player statistics can be checked on our squad page.
