Dinamo's transfer window has become complicated: Peretz stays in Israel, Barcelona does not agree to a loan for Rodríguez
Dinamo Zagreb entered the crucial part of the summer transfer window with a clear intention to further strengthen the team after Mislav Oršić's return, but in just a few days two deals that were considered very serious at Maksimir became complicated. According to a Sportske novosti report published on Monday, June 22, 2026, Israeli international Dor Peretz will not sign for the Zagreb club, although the deal was in its final stage and the player had already been in Zagreb with his wife and agent. The same source states that Dinamo has also failed to reach an agreement for Dani Rodríguez, the young winger of Barcelona Atlètic, because the Croatian champion wants a loan with the possibility of a later buyout, while Barcelona insists on a permanent transfer already this summer.
In both cases, the reasons are different, but the sporting problem is the same: Dinamo must continue searching for solutions at a moment when preparations for the 2026/2027 season have already begun and European obligations are quickly approaching. According to the club's own announcement from June 17, Dinamo gathered the squad in Zagreb at the start of preparations, and coach Mario Kovačević then pointed out that he was satisfied with the health condition of the squad and that Oršić's return brings quality and influence in the dressing room. But the transfer window for a club that wants to maintain dominance in Croatian football and secure European continuity is not reduced to one big name, but to several decisions that must simultaneously be useful from a sporting point of view and financially sustainable.
Peretz's arrival stopped after a family decision
The case of Dor Peretz was the closest to completion. According to information from Sportske novosti, communication between Dinamo, the player and his agent ended on June 22 with the decision that the 31-year-old midfielder would remain in Israel. The report states that Peretz travelled to Zagreb with his wife and agent, that Zvonimir Boban personally introduced him to the city, and that the player left the impression of a person ready for the transfer. Still, according to the same source, the decisive factor was a family decision, namely his wife's wish to remain in Israel and not change her place of life at this moment.
Such an outcome does not necessarily speak of a failure in the negotiating strategy, but of the reality of the modern football market, in which personal and family circumstances often carry the same weight as salary, contract length or status in the team. According to the same report, Peretz behaved correctly towards Dinamo, thanked the club for its hospitality and expressed regret that the transfer would not be concluded. For the club, however, the consequence is very concrete: the profile of the player who was supposed to bring physical strength, experience and a goalscoring contribution from midfield is no longer available, so the search must continue elsewhere.
Peretz is more than an ordinary midfielder in Israeli football. In May, Maccabi Tel Aviv announced that its captain had finished the 2025/2026 season with 19 league goals and 22 goals in all competitions, winning the title of top scorer in the Israeli league, although he plays in midfield. Such a figure explains why Dinamo showed serious interest: this was not just a player who would fill out the rotation, but a midfielder who can change the team's dynamics, arrive in the final third and take responsibility in matches in which details are decisive.
According to available information from Croatian media, Peretz was seen in Dinamo's plans as a reinforcement for the central part of the pitch and a potentially important option in the context of the future of the midfield line, including the question of long-term easing of the burden on, or succession to, Josip Mišić's role. Since the player is staying in his homeland, Dinamo must find an alternative that will not be merely a nominal replacement. A club entering the Champions League qualifiers is not looking exclusively for a number in the squad, but for a player who can immediately understand the team's demands, respond to the rhythm of European matches and at the same time not disrupt the financial structure of the dressing room.
Barcelona wants a sale, Dinamo a loan with a buyout option
The second setback concerns Dani Rodríguez, the 20-year-old winger of Barcelona Atlètic. According to Sportske novosti, Dinamo wanted to bring Rodríguez in on a one-year loan, with the possibility of buying him after becoming convinced of his fitness, continuity and adaptation to senior football outside Barcelona's system. Barcelona, according to the same report, had a different position: the Catalan club wanted a permanent sale, with a fee that represented too great a risk for Dinamo in relation to the player's recent injury history and the fact that he had not been in full continuity of competitive appearances for a long time.
Such a disagreement over the transfer model is often more important than the player's own desire. When one club seeks a loan with a buyout option, it assumes the sporting risk gradually: first it checks the player's health condition, physical adaptation, level of tactical discipline and psychological reaction to a new environment. When the other club insists on an immediate permanent transfer, the buyer assumes almost the entire risk upfront. In Dinamo's case, according to information from Maksimir carried by Sportske novosti, the assessment was that paying a transfer fee, along with possible bonuses, would be imprudent while there is no certainty that the player can continuously perform at the expected level.
Rodríguez's playing profile is undoubtedly attractive. FC Barcelona describes him on its official website as an attacking winger who can play on both sides of the pitch, and in the club biography it states that he joined Barcelona from Real Sociedad in 2020. The same profile highlights his one-on-one ability, use of both feet and potential to break through down the flank, which are characteristics that may be important for Dinamo in matches in which it has to break down low blocks, but also in European duels in which transition and speed on the wing are often decisive.
But the same development path also carries warning signs. In May 2025, Barcelona announced that Rodríguez had made his first-team debut against Valladolid, but had to leave before half-time because of a shoulder injury. The club's announcement at the time also stated that injuries had limited his minutes during the season, although, when fit, he showed quality in dribbling and finishing. That is precisely why Dinamo's wish for a loan with a buyout option looks like an attempt not to discard the potential, but also not to take on an obligation that could prove too demanding both financially and sportingly.
Caution at Maksimir stems from a changed investment logic
Dinamo's assessment in Rodríguez's case fits into a broader trend among clubs outside the financially strongest leagues. Such clubs can develop young players and create added value, but they can rarely ignore health risk, long-term contractual obligations or a mistaken assessment of market price. According to the Sportske novosti report, Dinamo has not closed the door on the player because it does not believe in his talent, but because Barcelona currently does not accept a deal structure that would reduce the risk for the Zagreb club. That is an important difference, because it leaves the possibility that the situation could change if the conditions change, but there is currently no confirmation that this will happen.
At Maksimir, meanwhile, decisions are not being made in a vacuum. In the summer of 2026, the club is under pressure to strengthen the team, but also to maintain stability after a season into which, according to Dinamo's official announcement at the start of preparations, it entered as the reigning Croatian champion and Cup winner. Such a status raises expectations, but also increases responsibility in squad planning. Every player who arrives must have a clear role: either immediately raise the quality of the first team, or represent development capital that will not block the budget if adaptation proves slower than expected.
Boban's role in that process is especially interesting because the club officially announced that Zvonimir Boban took over the position of president of the Management Board in 2025, with the emphasis that he would primarily focus on sporting matters. This means that a large part of the public perception of the transfer window is linked precisely to his judgement, contacts and ability to make Dinamo attractive to players outside the Croatian market. Peretz's visit to Zagreb shows that the club can bring serious players to the final stage of talks, but also reminds that neither personal authority nor a good presentation of the project can remove all obstacles.
Oršić's return remains the most high-profile move, but it does not solve all needs
At this moment, Dinamo's most concrete deal remains the return of Mislav Oršić. On June 9, 2026, the club announced that Oršić had returned to Dinamo and signed a multi-year contract, opening his second Maksimir spell after three and a half years away. In the same announcement, Dinamo pointed out that Oršić would again wear number 99, that he is one of the most important European goalscorers in the club's history and that, in the previous period after leaving Zagreb, he played for Southampton, Trabzonspor and Pafos.
Oršić's return has an emotional, sporting and marketing dimension, but it should not be viewed as a solution to all of the team's structural needs. He can bring experience, finishing, recognisability and a connection with the supporters, but Dinamo still needs solutions in several positions, especially if it wants to cope successfully with the rhythm of the domestic league, the Cup and European qualifiers. In the club announcement at the start of preparations, coach Kovačević emphasised that Oršić's return pleased him precisely because of the quality and influence in the dressing room, but at the same time it is clear that one returnee cannot replace the planned filling of the midfield and wing positions.
Dinamo is therefore in a familiar transitional phase: it has a foundation from last season, it has several strong individual assets, but it must smartly supplement the squad before the competitive rhythm begins. Failed or delayed transfers in such circumstances do not necessarily have to mean a crisis. They can, however, narrow the room for manoeuvre and force the club to react more quickly in a market that is particularly changeable at the beginning of the summer, because players and agents are waiting for offers from bigger leagues, while sellers try to secure the most favourable terms.
The European calendar reduces the room for waiting
Additional pressure comes from the European schedule. On June 17, Dinamo announced that in the second round of Champions League qualifying it would play against Swiss side Thun, with the first match away on July 21 or 22 and the return leg a week later at Maksimir Stadium. In the same club announcement, it was stated that Thun last season won the title of Swiss champion for the first time in its 128-year history, and did so only one season after returning to the top tier. These are circumstances that warn that the opponent cannot be viewed routinely, regardless of Dinamo's greater European experience.
Champions League qualifiers often determine the entire season, not only through sporting results but also through financial projections. A club that advances gains a stronger argument in negotiations with players, greater visibility and safer income, while elimination can change priorities in the final weeks of the transfer window. That is why time is precious in this case: players who are supposed to be starters or important rotation members should ideally go through at least part of the preparations, get to know the coach and teammates, and absorb the basic tactical demands before the first official matches.
Peretz and Rodríguez represented two different ideas of reinforcement. Peretz was an option of experience, physical maturity and immediate productivity from midfield, while Rodríguez was a development project with potentially high market value, but also greater health and adaptation risk. The fact that both deals stalled shows how difficult it is to satisfy sporting, financial and personal transfer conditions at the same time. Dinamo must now choose between waiting for one of the open situations to change and turning more quickly to new targets that fit better into a deal model acceptable to the club.
What Dinamo must now resolve
According to the available information, there are no signs of panic at Maksimir, but there is a clear need to continue market activity. Sportske novosti reports that, after missing out on Peretz and the setback regarding Rodríguez, Dinamo is turning to other solutions, and that is an expected outcome for a club that must have several parallel options. In the modern transfer window, negotiations with one player are rarely conducted in isolation; the sporting department usually follows several profiles at the same time, comparing price, health, character, tactical compatibility and the possibility of a later sale.
For the midfield, it will be important to find a player who can bring energy, duelling ability and a contribution in the final third, because it was precisely that combination that made Peretz especially interesting. For the wing positions, Dinamo must decide whether it wants a safer solution with more experience or a younger player whose potential can be developed, but only under conditions that do not carry too great an initial obligation. In that sense, Rodríguez's case can serve as an indicator of the line the club does not want to cross: talent is important, but not at any price and not without the possibility of controlling the risk.
The next few days will therefore show how deep Dinamo's list of alternatives is. Oršić's return gave the transfer window a strong initial impulse, but the failed attempts with Peretz and Rodríguez reminded everyone that a team for a new season is not built only with attractive names, but also with disciplined decisions. As the clash with Thun approaches, the Zagreb club must find a balance between ambition and caution: react quickly enough for the coach to get reinforcements on time, but not so quickly that long-term stability is sacrificed because of the pressure of one summer transfer window.
Sources:
- Sportske novosti / Jutarnji list – report on Dor Peretz's decision not to sign for Dinamo and the setback in negotiations over Dani Rodríguez (link)
- GNK Dinamo Zagreb – official announcement on Mislav Oršić's return to Dinamo and the details of his second spell at the club (link)
- GNK Dinamo Zagreb – official announcement on the start of preparations for the 2026/2027 season and the statement by coach Mario Kovačević (link)
- GNK Dinamo Zagreb – official announcement on the draw for the second round of Champions League qualifying against Thun (link)
- GNK Dinamo Zagreb – official announcement on the appointment of Zvonimir Boban as president of the Management Board and his focus on sporting matters (link)
- Maccabi Tel Aviv FC – official announcement on Dor Peretz, his 2025/2026 season and his goalscoring contribution (link)
- FC Barcelona – official profile of Dani Rodríguez in the Barça Atlètic squad (link)
- FC Barcelona – official announcement on Dani Rodríguez's first-team debut and injury against Valladolid (link)