Alberto Del Moral on the verge of joining Hajduk: Spanish midfielder arrives as part of the team's new reconstruction
Alberto Del Moral is expected to become HNK Hajduk Split's new signing after the Split club, according to information from Croatian and Spanish media published on June 27, 2026, agreed on the arrival of the 25-year-old midfielder from Real Oviedo. He is a player whose contract with the Asturian club runs until the summer of 2027, but he spent the last year and a half in Córdoba, where he played in the second tier of Spanish football. According to Slobodna Dalmacija, Del Moral has arrived in Split and is expected to undergo a medical examination before the formalities are completed and the contract is signed. Tportal, citing earlier reporting by the Spanish newspaper El Día de Córdoba, stated that Real Oviedo is considering terminating his contract, which is why it is expected that the deal for Hajduk should not include a significant transfer fee. However, at the time this text was being prepared, official confirmation of the transfer had not yet been published on Hajduk's channels, so for now the agreement should be viewed as a deal in its final stage.
Arrival without major financial risk
Del Moral's potential transfer fits into the model of the summer transfer window in which Hajduk is trying to increase competition within the squad, while not entering financially demanding operations without clear sporting logic. Del Moral comes from an environment that is well known to Hajduk, because in the last few seasons players from the Spanish second tier, that is, the competition now commercially known as LaLiga Hypermotion, have been followed more and more closely. Real Oviedo previously confirmed on its official website that Del Moral went to Córdoba on loan until the end of the season and that his contract with the Asturian club runs until June 2027. El Día de Córdoba states that, after returning from loan, the midfielder is not in Oviedo's plans for the new season, which opens up room for an agreement on his departure without a classic high transfer fee. For Hajduk, this is an important detail because such an outcome would allow the club to bring in a player in his best years at a lower initial cost, while the sporting risk would primarily shift to the question of his form and continuity of appearances.
A player for balance in midfield
Del Moral is profiled as a central midfielder who can provide the team with a firmer structure in the defensive phase, in pressing and in controlling the space in front of the back line. According to the Slobodna Dalmacija report, in his career so far he has recorded one La Liga appearance for Villarreal and 95 appearances in the Spanish second division, with three goals and four assists. Such a statistical profile does not describe a midfielder who primarily brings a large number of goals or final passes, but rather a player whose value lies in ball distribution, range of movement and discipline in the central zone. For a team entering a new season under the pressure of domestic and European obligations, an additional option in midfield can be important already in the first weeks of the competitive rhythm. In that sense, Del Moral could establish himself as a rotation player, but also as a candidate for a more important role if he quickly adapts to the demands of coach Gonzalo García and the rhythm of the Croatian championship.
The season in Córdoba brought minutes, but also interruptions
Spanish sources describe Del Moral's last season as useful, but not completely stable due to problems with continuity. At the beginning of June, Cadena SER reported that in the 2025/26 season he played 21 league matches for Córdoba, 10 of them as a starter, with a total of 939 minutes. The same source states that he missed part of February and March because of pain in the lateral area of the body, and then, on May 10 against Granada, suffered a muscle injury that kept him from returning to the pitch until the end of the season. El Día de Córdoba also emphasizes that injuries prevented Del Moral from leaving a stronger impression at Córdoba, although in the Spanish context he is still seen as a player who, with health and continuity, can be a quality performer at second-division level. This is precisely why the medical examination in Split will have added importance, because before formally concluding the deal Hajduk would have to obtain a clear picture of his physical condition and readiness for the start of the season.
Connection with Real Oviedo and the path through Villarreal's academy
Del Moral arrived at Real Oviedo in the summer of 2024 after a period in Villarreal's system, and Oviedo's official announcement states that before going on loan to Córdoba he played 12 competitive matches for the Asturian club. El Día de Córdoba recalled that he scored one goal for Oviedo during that period and that Córdoba had been interested in him earlier as well, but at that time Oviedo's offer was stronger. His development path includes experience with Villarreal's second team, where, according to Cadena SER data, in the 2022/23 season he made 37 appearances and played more than 3,300 minutes, which was the period of greatest competitive stability in his senior career. In the following seasons, his minutes decreased, partly due to moves between clubs and partly due to injuries that interrupted his rhythm. Hajduk, if it brings in Del Moral, would clearly be counting on such a player being able to move closer again to the level from earlier seasons if he is given a clear role and a well-structured environment.
Dalisson as the second part of the Spanish package
Del Moral is not the only player from Córdoba who has been linked with Hajduk in recent days. According to information from Spanish and Croatian media, Dalisson de Almeida, an attacking player born in Spain with Brazilian documents, who shared the dressing room with Del Moral last season, is also expected to arrive in Split. Slobodna Dalmacija reported that both players should undergo medical examinations on the same day, after which contract signings would follow if there are no obstacles. AS reported that Córdoba is considering solutions for Dalisson that would protect the club's value of the player because his contract expires in 2027, with a loan with an obligation to buy or a contract extension before departure being mentioned. The same Spanish outlet stated that Dalisson recorded 29 appearances in the last league season, was a starter 12 times, scored two goals and played 1,133 minutes. His possible arrival would give Hajduk a different profile from Del Moral, because he is a more attacking player who can operate between the lines and expand solutions in the final third.
Robert Graf continues the accelerated renewal of the squad
If Del Moral and Dalisson sign for Hajduk, according to Slobodna Dalmacija they would be the fifth and sixth signings under the leadership of sporting director Robert Graf. On April 15, 2026, Hajduk officially announced that Graf had taken over the role of sporting director after the departure of Goran Vučević, and he was presented at the club as an expert who had previously worked at Polish club ŁKS Łódź as vice-president for sport. In the transfer window so far, the club has already confirmed the arrivals of Etnik Brruti, Anđelo Šutalo and Alec Van Hoorenbeeck, while the official channels have also announced that Mathieu Acapandié is a new Hajduk player. It is particularly interesting that the reinforcements are being distributed across several lines of the team, from defence and full-back positions to midfield, which points to an attempt at a broader reconstruction, not merely the signing of one or two headline players. Del Moral would have a functional role in such a plan, because he should increase density and competition in the area of the pitch where matches are often decided through pressing, transition and control of the second wave of attack.
Hajduk already in preparations, Europe is coming very soon
The timing of the arrival of potential reinforcements for Hajduk is not a side issue. The club announced on its official website that the first team began preparations for the new season on June 15, 2026, under the leadership of Gonzalo García, noting that 17 players were present at the first gathering, while the internationals would join later. Hajduk then announced that in the first qualifying round of the Europa League it would play against Žilina, with the first match at Poljud on July 9 and the return leg in Slovakia on July 16. This means that any new signings will have a very short adaptation period before the first official European obligations. In such a schedule, players who come from competitively demanding leagues are especially valuable, but even experience from Spanish football does not remove the need for rapid tactical and physical adaptation. Del Moral, if the deal is concluded, would have to fit into the training process in a short period of time, learn the automatisms of the new team and compete for minutes at a time when coaches are usually still looking for the optimal structure.
What the transfer means for Hajduk's midfield
Del Moral's arrival would not necessarily mean a dramatic change in the hierarchy of Hajduk's midfield, but it would open up additional possibilities in shaping the team for different types of matches. A midfielder of his profile can be useful in duels in which it is necessary to close the space in front of the defence, help in playing out of pressure and ensure balance when full-backs or wide players move high up the pitch. If coach García insists on more active pressing and faster recovery of possession, Del Moral's work discipline could be just as important as his technical security. On the other hand, his last season shows that Hajduk must assess how quickly he can handle full minutes and a dense schedule, especially if the team successfully opens its European campaign. Therefore, the most realistic initial scenario could be gradual introduction, with his minutes increasing depending on physical condition, competition and the development of matches in July and August.
The deal is still waiting for the official seal
Although several sources create the impression that the transfer is very close to completion, an important difference remains between an agreement in principle and an officially concluded deal. According to the available information, Del Moral is a candidate to arrive without a large transfer fee, but the final status of his contract with Real Oviedo and the details of his future relationship with Hajduk will be clear only after the official announcements from the clubs. In sporting terms, the deal has logic because Hajduk gets a player with experience in the Spanish second division, while Del Moral gets an opportunity for a new beginning at an ambitious club that immediately enters European qualifiers. For the Spanish midfielder, this could be an important step after two uneven seasons, and for the Split club another move in a transfer window that is developing quickly and purposefully. The next steps should be the medical examination, final agreements regarding the contract and official confirmation, after which it would be possible to speak more clearly about his role in Hajduk's team for the 2026/27 season.
Sources:
- Slobodna Dalmacija – report on the arrival of Alberto Del Moral at Hajduk, medical examinations and the context of the reinforcements (link)
- Tportal – information on Del Moral's expected transfer and the possible absence of a larger transfer fee (link)
- Real Oviedo – official announcement on Alberto Del Moral's loan to Córdoba and the duration of his contract with Real Oviedo (link)
- El Día de Córdoba – analysis of Del Moral's situation after the loan, his status at Oviedo and his performance at Córdoba (link)
- Cadena SER / Radio Asturias – data on Del Moral's season at Córdoba, minutes played and health problems (link)
- AS – report on Dalisson, his contractual situation at Córdoba and Hajduk's interest (link)
- HNK Hajduk Split – official announcement on the start of the first team's preparations for the 2026/27 season (link)
- HNK Hajduk Split – official announcement on the appointment of Robert Graf as sporting director (link)
- HNK Hajduk Split – official news on the European schedule and the first qualifying matches against Žilina (link)