Avellino considers signing Alen Halilović, but a final decision has not yet been made
Alen Halilović has once again found himself at the centre of the Italian transfer market following reports that Avellino has established initial contact with representatives of the 30-year-old attacking midfielder. According to media reports from the Italian province of Irpinia, sporting director Mario Aiello spoke with the player's entourage and presented the possibility of his arrival to head coach Alessandro Nesta. The talks have so far remained at an initial stage, with no agreement, medical examination or official confirmation from the club. Halilović is a free agent following the expiration of his contract with Fortuna Sittard, which means Avellino can sign him without paying a transfer fee. That circumstance, combined with the experience he has gained in several European leagues, makes him an available but simultaneously complex option for a club that is still assessing several candidates for the attacking part of its midfield.
Local portal TuttoAvellino, citing Irpinia TV, reported that the initial contacts with Halilović's representatives were positive, but also that the coaching staff does not want to make a rushed decision. Pianeta Serie B states that there is a certain degree of hesitation within the club's management because Avellino is also considering players who are more familiar with the demands of the Italian second division. Such a position does not mean that Halilović's candidacy has been rejected, but rather that the club is trying to assess whether his profile fits the team's plan for the 2026/2027 season. At this point, there are no indications that an official offer has been submitted or that the contract duration and financial terms have been agreed. All available information therefore points to interest and an initial exploration of the possibility, rather than a transfer that is close to completion.
Information about his physical condition and individual work
One of the questions raised in local reports concerned Halilović's physical condition after a season in which he had very limited playing time. On 24 July, once again citing Irpinia TV and a conversation with the player's representative, TuttoAvellino reported that the midfielder has no specific health problem and is training twice a day so that he will be ready for a new engagement. According to the same source, his limited playing time during the final stage of his spell at Fortuna Sittard was connected to his contractual situation and a possible departure, rather than an injury that would keep him off the pitch in the long term. For now, those claims are coming from the player's entourage and have not been confirmed by an independent medical report or an official statement from Avellino. If negotiations move into a concrete phase, the customary medical examination would be a crucial step before the contract is signed.
In April 2026, Fortuna Sittard officially announced that Halilović's contract had been formally terminated with effect from the end of the season, opening the way for his departure once his contractual obligation had expired. Formal termination in Dutch football does not always mean that negotiations over a new contract are completely excluded, but in this case the cooperation ended on 30 June and the player has been a free agent since 1 July. Statistical data for the 2025/2026 season confirm that he played very little: according to FotMob, he made five Eredivisie appearances, totalling 30 minutes and one assist, without starting a match. Such limited competitive playing time objectively represents a risk for every interested club, regardless of individual training and technical quality. Avellino must therefore assess how much time Halilović would need to reach the rhythm required for regular appearances in Serie B.
Why Avellino is seeking additional creativity
At the beginning of June, Avellino appointed Alessandro Nesta as head coach of the first team for the 2026/2027 season, with his official contract running until 30 June 2028. The former Italian international and world champion previously coached Miami, Perugia, Frosinone, Reggiana and Monza, meaning that he is very familiar with the specific characteristics of Serie B. At his presentation in Avellino, he said that he intended to begin with a four-man defensive line, while also adapting the system to the qualities of the squad. He also stressed that modern build-up play cannot be predetermined in every situation, but that the team must know when to play out from the back and when to seek a more direct solution. In such a model, a creative player operating between midfield and attack can have an important role, particularly against opponents defending in a low or medium block.
Throughout his career, Halilović has most frequently played as an attacking midfielder or a right winger who moves inside onto his stronger left foot. His principal qualities have traditionally been ball control in tight spaces, changes of direction, vertical passing and the ability to create an advantage in one-on-one situations. In his national-team profile, the Croatian Football Federation described him as an exceptionally creative midfielder capable of standing out through assists and finishing behind the striker. Such a range of characteristics could offer Avellino a different type of solution from physically stronger or more direct players. However, the usefulness of that profile will depend on whether he can adapt to Nesta's demands without the ball, the pace of the second division and the team's discipline throughout an entire match.
Serie B demands rapid adaptation to physical duels, tactical compactness and frequent changes of tempo. For that reason, local media report that part of the club's structure gives preference to candidates with greater experience specifically in that competition. Halilović has played in Italian football, but his spell at Milan did not bring him continuity in the league, and he has no experience of a months-long campaign in Serie B. On the other hand, he has played in the top divisions of Croatia, Spain, Germany, Belgium, England and the Netherlands, meaning that adapting to a new country and football culture is not unfamiliar to him. The decision therefore does not come down solely to an assessment of talent, but to a comparison of technical potential, physical fitness, expected salary and the time required to reach competitive rhythm.
A career marked by an early rise and frequent changes of club
Halilović was born on 18 June 1996 in Dubrovnik and developed as a footballer at Dinamo Zagreb. He made his first-team debut as a 16-year-old and also appeared in the Champions League at a very young age, becoming one of the most closely followed European talents of his generation. In the spring of 2014, Barcelona announced an agreement with Dinamo and the signing of a five-year contract, with the plan for the player initially to represent Barcelona B. He played one official match for the Catalan club's first team, while accumulating most of his minutes with the development side and later on loan at Sporting Gijón. The great expectations created during his teenage years followed him into the later stages of his career, often without a sufficiently stable period at a single club.
After Barcelona, he moved to Hamburger SV and subsequently played on loan for Las Palmas. In the summer of 2018, he joined Milan, but he was unable to establish a significant league role at the Italian giant. Loans to Standard Liège and Heerenveen followed, before Milan officially announced the mutual termination of his contract in October 2020. Halilović then played for Birmingham City and Reading in England, briefly returned to Croatia as a Rijeka player and signed for Fortuna Sittard in July 2023. Barcelona's official website lists precisely that sequence of clubs in its overview of his career, demonstrating broad international experience but also a lack of long-term stability.
Fortuna represented one of the calmer periods of Halilović's senior career. When he arrived in Sittard, he signed a one-year contract with an extension option, which the club subsequently activated to tie him down until the summer of 2026. He played regularly in the 2023/2024 season and was again given an important creative role in the following campaign. In May 2025, Fortuna announced that his season had ended because of an ankle injury sustained against Twente, adding that he had made 62 appearances for the club by that point and had missed only one match that season. That continuity is important for understanding the current situation: his limited playing time in 2025/2026 represented a sudden departure from the preceding period, during which he had generally been a regular member of the team.
A return to Italy would be an opportunity for a different ending to the story
A possible move to Avellino would carry additional symbolism because Halilović did not receive the opportunity in Italy that he had expected after signing for Milan. His official record in the red-and-black shirt remained primarily connected to European competition, while he failed to establish himself as a regular first-team player in Serie A. A return to Italian football through Serie B would therefore not be a continuation of the previous episode, but an attempt to find a more clearly defined role at a more mature stage of his career. At the age of 30, he would no longer arrive as a development project or as a footballer carrying the label of an exceptionally young talent. For an interested club, his current usefulness, professional readiness and ability to help the team immediately are now more important.
The financial aspect could also be important. As he is out of contract, Avellino would not have to pay a transfer fee, but would need to reach an agreement on salary, bonuses and the possible duration of the cooperation. Free-agent status reduces the initial cost of the transfer, but it does not eliminate the sporting risk associated with a long period without regular matches. The club is also building its squad in accordance with the requirements of its new coach, meaning that every arrival must be aligned with the available places in the squad and registration rules. Halilović may be attractive precisely because he offers technical quality that is difficult to find at a low price, but the final assessment must also include the intensity Avellino expects in the defensive phase.
For the player himself, Avellino could offer an opportunity for a new beginning in a competition that enjoys considerable media visibility and provides a clear route to Serie A. The club has ambitious management, a new coach with experience in the Italian first and second divisions and a passionate fan base that expects the team to have a recognisable identity. At his presentation, Nesta stressed that he wanted a balanced group of experienced players and younger footballers, as well as a squad capable of growing together with the club. In terms of age and experience, Halilović fits into the more experienced part of such a structure, but he would have to confirm that status through his performances on the pitch. His name and former reputation alone are not enough to outweigh questions about continuity and readiness.
The decision remains open as Avellino compares candidates
The most important fact at this moment is that the transfer has not been agreed. According to the available information, Aiello listened to the conditions and presented Halilović's candidacy to Nesta, after which the club decided to continue assessing the market. Local sources describe the level of interest differently: some emphasise the positive contacts and the player's technical value, while others highlight the management's reservations and preference for candidates with greater Serie B experience. Such differences in reporting are common during the initial stages of a transfer window, when clubs are holding parallel talks with several players and agents. Until Avellino or Halilović's side confirms concrete progress, his arrival should be viewed as one of the options rather than as a certain deal.
The next step could be a more detailed discussion about his role in the team and contractual conditions, followed by a medical assessment. It is equally possible that Avellino will conclude that it has a greater need for a player accustomed to Serie B and withdraw from further negotiations. As a free agent, Halilović can also speak to other clubs without the restrictions that would result from an active contract. His availability without a transfer fee is likely to maintain market interest even after the beginning of pre-season preparations, especially among teams seeking creativity and experience but operating with a limited transfer budget. For Avellino, the decision will depend on whether Nesta believes Halilović can become a functional part of the system quickly enough, rather than merely being an attractive name on a list of candidates.
Sources:
- TuttoAvellino – report on Avellino's initial contacts with Alen Halilović's representatives and the status of his candidacy (link)
- TuttoAvellino – information from Irpinia TV about the player's physical condition, individual training and the club's decision to continue assessing other options (link)
- Pianeta Serie B – reports about the position of Avellino's management and the preference the club may give to players with Serie B experience (link)
- US Avellino 1912 – official confirmation of Alessandro Nesta's appointment, the duration of his contract and the composition of his coaching staff (link)
- Irpinia TV – Alessandro Nesta's statement on tactical principles, squad construction and the Avellino project (link)
- Fortuna Sittard – official announcement about the formal termination of Alen Halilović's contract at the end of the 2025/2026 season (link)
- Fortuna Sittard – information about the player's arrival in 2023 and his contract with an extension option (link)
- Fortuna Sittard – official information about the ankle injury and his 62 appearances for the club up to May 2025 (link)
- FC Barcelona – official information about the transfer from Dinamo, the five-year contract and the beginning of his career (link)
- FC Barcelona – official overview of Alen Halilović's clubs and appearances throughout his career (link)
- AC Milan – official statement about the mutual termination of his contract in 2020 (link)
- Croatian Football Federation – national-team profile and description of Alen Halilović's playing characteristics (link)
- FotMob – statistical data about his appearances and playing time in the Eredivisie during the 2025/2026 season (link)