GNK Dinamo Zagreb has strengthened its attacking line with the signing of Spanish winger Iker Almena. The 22-year-old forward arrives on a one-year loan from Saudi Arabian side Al-Qadsiah, with the club holding an option to make the move permanent next summer, as reported by Index.hr Sport.
Almena will undergo a medical examination on Thursday and sign his contract. Dinamo will immediately register him for the UEFA Europa League, with the registration deadline for the 2026/27 season expiring on Friday at 23:59 CET. Zvonimir Boban stated that Almena has wanted to join Dinamo from the beginning and that the club will succeed in registering him for European competitions on time.
Who is Iker Almena?
Iker Almena is a Spanish attacker who spent last season on loan at Hajduk Split. He made 23 appearances for the white squad, scoring 4 goals and providing 3 assists. He began his career in local academies before moving to Barcelona's La Masia in 2011, where he stayed until 2017.
He later moved to Girona, making his senior debut for Can Vidalet. He played for Girona B and made 3 appearances for the first team before transferring to Al Qadsiah in 2024/25. There, he played 22 matches in one season and recorded one assist.
Where will he fit in Dinamo's lineup?
Almena is expected to play on the right wing for Dinamo. This will create direct competition with Mateo Lisica and Fran Topić for a starting spot. Dinamo has already shown a preference for players with this background this summer by signing another Spaniard, Dani Rodriguez from Barcelona.
Dinamo currently sits third in the HNL with 10 points from four matches played. The record is three wins and one draw, with recent form DWWW. The club has scored 11 goals, conceded 3, and has a +8 goal difference. The gap to league leaders NK Osijek is two points.
Why is this important for the European campaign?
The arrival of Almena has a direct impact on Dinamo's plans for the Europa League. The club needs to strengthen to be competitive in the double challenge for the domestic title and European competitions. Registering a new attacker just before the deadline shows the management wanted to complete this transfer in time.
Dinamo will play its next match at home against HNK Gorica on September 5, 2026. Gorica is currently in 10th place in the table. The full match schedule can be found on our fixtures page. The current squad and player statistics are available on the squad and stats pages.
Zvonimir Boban said: "He said he wanted to come to Dinamo from the start and the goal was to bring him in time to register him for Europe, which Dinamo will succeed in doing." With this transfer, Dinamo has clearly shown its intention to bolster its attacking line for the demanding season ahead. The club will be able to purchase Almena at the end of the season if he proves successful.
