Dinamo wants to keep Dominik Livaković, but the key to the decision remains in Istanbul
Dominik Livaković is once again one of the central topics of Dinamo's squad policy. After returning to Zagreb on loan from Fenerbahçe, the Zagreb club wants to create room for a more permanent agreement, but the final outcome will depend on negotiations with the Turkish club and on the financial limits that the management in Maksimir can accept. According to available information, Dinamo is ready to discuss a multi-year contract with the Croatian international, but does not want to enter into a deal that would burden the budget in the long term or disrupt the wage structure in the dressing room. The contractual rights are still on Fenerbahçe's side, and according to the records of the Turkish Football Federation, Livaković's contract with the Istanbul club is valid until 30 June 2028. For that reason, Dinamo, even with the player's desire and the club's sporting interest, cannot conclude the deal independently without an agreement with Fenerbahçe.
The plan from Maksimir: a five-year contract, but without overpaying
According to a report by Sportske novosti, Dinamo is prepared to offer Livaković a five-year contract with a basic annual salary of up to 750 thousand euros, along with bonuses linked to sporting results. The same source states that additional club mechanisms could raise total earnings toward an amount of around one million euros per year, but such a package has not yet been officially confirmed. In business terms, this is an offer that would place Livaković among the highest-paid players at the club, but still below the level of income he reportedly had in Turkey, according to earlier media reports. Such an approach shows that Dinamo is trying to combine the sporting authority of the national-team goalkeeper with a new policy of financial discipline. For a club that regularly counts on income from European competitions, but operates outside the richest leagues, keeping a player of Livaković's profile is possible only if the transfer fee and salary fit into a sustainable framework.
Dinamo's advantage in negotiations is not only the player's emotional connection with the club. Livaković already had captain status in Zagreb, became one of the symbols of the team's European successes and, during his previous spell, built a relationship of trust with the supporters. Dinamo's official announcement after his return in January 2026 recalled that this is a goalkeeper who immediately made himself available to coach Mario Kovačević and the team. In an interview for the club's channels after his return, Livaković expressed satisfaction and pride at wearing the Dinamo shirt again, confirming that sporting and personal motives are not a secondary part of this story. Still, in modern transfers, such elements are rarely enough if the club holding the contract expects a concrete transfer fee.
Fenerbahçe has the contract, Dinamo is looking for a model that does not include a large transfer fee
The biggest obstacle remains Fenerbahçe. The Turkish club brought Livaković from Dinamo in 2023 and tied him contractually until 2028, which gives it a strong negotiating position. According to available information, Dinamo does not want to pay a high transfer fee, but hopes for an agreement in which Fenerbahçe would accept a lower amount or a different financial model in order to get rid of part of its obligations toward the player. Such a scenario is not unusual when a player is no longer at the forefront of the club that formally owns him, especially if his contract is large in relation to the role he has in the team. In that context, negotiations are not reduced only to the question of how much Dinamo can pay, but also to the question of how much Fenerbahçe wants to relieve its own budget.
An additional negotiating element could be the previously mentioned debt owed by Fenerbahçe to Dinamo from Livaković's first transfer. In January 2026, Tportal, citing Germanijak, reported that under the contract the Turkish club was supposed to pay one more instalment to Dinamo, naming an amount of 1.5 million euros. In practice, such receivables can create room for compensation, postponements or more complex agreements, but for now there is no official confirmation that this exact mechanism is being used in the current negotiations. In such a situation, Dinamo could try to connect open financial obligations with a new arrangement, while Fenerbahçe could insist on a clean transfer amount. Without official confirmation from both sides, that part of the story remains important, but still not decisive proof that a permanent return is close.
The World Cup changed the market context
In the original course of the story, an important factor was the 2026 World Cup, because Livaković's performance on the big stage could have increased interest from clubs in financially stronger leagues. By 7 July 2026, that context had changed: Croatia finished its tournament after a 2-1 defeat by Portugal in the first knockout round, played on 2 July in Toronto. According to FIFA's official report, Croatia took the lead through Ivan Perišić's goal in the 53rd minute, Cristiano Ronaldo equalised from a penalty in the 68th minute, and Gonçalo Ramos scored in stoppage time for Portugal's comeback. FIFA's match statistics show that Croatia had six shots on target, while Portugal had three, which further explains why the defeat left such a strong impression of a dramatic outcome.
For Livaković, the end of Croatia's tournament does not automatically mean the end of market interest. A goalkeeper with World Cup experience, European matches and a long international record remains the profile of player who can be interesting to clubs looking for a proven solution in goal. In its official profile, the Croatian Football Federation states that Livaković is part of the national-team circle that has taken part in major final tournaments, including the 2022 World Cup, at which Croatia won third place. Such a biography carries market weight, especially in a transfer window in which clubs often wait for tournaments to conclude before making final decisions. Still, at the moment there is no official confirmation that Fenerbahçe has received an offer that would change Dinamo's plans or force the Zagreb club into a quick reaction.
The sporting value for Dinamo goes beyond the goalkeeper position itself
For Dinamo, Livaković is not only a solution in goal. His experience in high-pressure matches, knowledge of the club environment and authority in the dressing room make him a player who can help stabilise the team during European qualifiers and the domestic season. In an official text from March 2026, Dinamo highlighted that Livaković had made his 300th official appearance for the club, confirming his status as one of the most important goalkeepers in the club's more recent history. Such a milestone is not only a statistical fact, but also an argument in favour of continuity, especially in a team that wants to combine experienced leaders with younger players. For the coach and the club's sporting policy, a reliable goalkeeper is often the foundation around which defensive stability is more easily built.
On the other hand, precisely because of that importance, Dinamo must carefully assess the limit to which it may go. A long contract for a goalkeeper who turned 31 in January 2026 can be sporting logic, but it also carries financial risk if the terms prove too heavy in later seasons. A five-year cooperation would mean that Livaković would remain tied to the club until his mid-thirties, which is not unusual for goalkeepers, but requires a clear assessment of form, health and expected role. Dinamo must also take into account that every exception in wages becomes a reference point for other negotiations. That is why, according to available information, Maksimir is trying to shape a package that recognises Livaković's status, but does not exceed the club's financial possibilities.
Fenerbahçe's calculation could be just as important as Dinamo's desire
For Fenerbahçe, the Livaković case is above all a matter of contractual and financial strategy. If the Turkish club does not plan to return the Croatian goalkeeper to a leading role, then keeping a player with a large contract may be less attractive than an agreement that brings a transfer fee and reduces salary costs. If, however, they assess in Istanbul that after the World Cup they can receive a better offer, Dinamo's negotiating position becomes weaker. In that case, Fenerbahçe could wait for interest from clubs in leagues with greater purchasing power, while Dinamo would have to decide whether to raise its offer or turn to other options. The Turkish club's decision will therefore probably depend on a combination of sporting plans, market offers and internal financial priorities.
In such an environment, Dinamo has trump cards, but not complete control. The player's connection with the club, the possibility of regular playing time and a familiar environment can be very strong factors, especially after a period in which Livaković did not have a stable club situation. But in professional football, the player's will most often needs to be aligned with the transfer fee, salary, contract duration and the deadlines of the transfer period. If Fenerbahçe and Dinamo come closer in their assessment of the transfer value, Livaković's stay could become one of the key moves by the Zagreb club in the summer transfer window. If the difference proves too great, Dinamo will have to weigh sporting continuity against financial responsibility.
The outcome depends on price, timing and competition
At the moment, the most realistic description of the situation is that Dinamo wants to keep Livaković, but that a final agreement has not been concluded. According to available information, the Zagreb club can offer a strong contract by its own standards, but does not want to pay a high transfer fee to Fenerbahçe. The Turkish club, on the other hand, has a contract that runs until 2028 and can therefore wait for a more favourable outcome, at least until the interest of other clubs becomes clearer. The World Cup has further accelerated market assessments, and the fact that Croatia finished its campaign on 2 July means that negotiations can now be conducted without waiting for new national-team matches at the tournament. In such circumstances, the most important thing will be the next moves by the clubs, not merely the declared desire for Livaković to remain in Maksimir.
For Dinamo, this is a decision that combines emotion, sporting ambition and financial reality. Livaković is an important enough player for a longer-term plan to be built around him, but also expensive enough that every detail of the contract must be carefully measured. If a model is found that gives Fenerbahçe an acceptable exit, Dinamo stability in goal, and Livaković the role of first-choice goalkeeper in a familiar environment, a permanent return could be the logical continuation of the loan. If clubs with bigger budgets enter the negotiations, the Zagreb club will find it difficult to compete solely with money. That is why the whole story is currently located between a clear sporting desire and the market reality that will ultimately determine whether Dinamo can keep one of the most important goalkeepers of its more recent history.
Sources:
- GNK Dinamo Zagreb – official announcement on Dominik Livaković's return on loan from Fenerbahçe (link)
- GNK Dinamo Zagreb – club interview with Livaković after his return and data on his appearances for the club (link)
- GNK Dinamo Zagreb – official announcement on Livaković's 300th appearance for Dinamo (link)
- Türkiye Futbol Federasyonu – registration record and contractual status of Dominik Livaković in Turkey (link)
- Croatian Football Federation – official national-team profile of Dominik Livaković (link)
- FIFA – official result and statistics of the Portugal – Croatia match at the 2026 World Cup (link)
- FIFA – report from the Portugal – Croatia match, played on 2 July 2026 in Toronto (link)
- Sportske novosti – report on Dinamo's contract plan for Livaković and the financial framework of a possible stay (link)
- Tportal – report on the previously mentioned remaining instalment owed by Fenerbahçe to Dinamo from Livaković's transfer (link)