Fenerbahçe denies offers from Dinamo and Olympiacos for Dominik Livaković, goalkeeper's future remains undecided
Fenerbahçe has rejected media claims that Dinamo Zagreb and Olympiacos submitted official offers for Dominik Livaković in the amounts reported publicly in recent days. The Istanbul club stated that the reports concerning the transfer of the Croatian international goalkeeper did not reflect the actual situation and emphasised that it had not received official offers from the two clubs within the previously mentioned financial frameworks. Such wording does not necessarily mean that there have been no informal contacts, enquiries about conditions or discussions with the player's representatives, but it clearly shows that Fenerbahçe currently does not believe there is an offer on which it could formally decide. Following the end of his loan spell at Dinamo, Livaković is once again under contract with the Turkish club, meaning that his next step depends on an agreement among all parties involved. The status of the 31-year-old goalkeeper therefore remains one of the unresolved issues of the summer transfer window.
The denial followed a series of reports claiming that Dinamo was attempting to arrange Livaković's permanent return to Zagreb, while Olympiacos was mentioned as a club prepared to offer him conditions comparable to those he has in Istanbul. Some Croatian media outlets also reported that the goalkeeper had rejected the possibility of moving to Piraeus because a different career solution was his priority. Fenerbahçe, however, responded specifically to the part of the reports concerning official offers and concrete amounts, thereby calling into question the impression that negotiations were already in their final stage. At this moment, none of the three clubs has announced that a transfer agreement has been reached. Until that happens, Livaković legally and professionally remains a Fenerbahçe player.
What Fenerbahçe actually denied
In a club statement reported by Turkish and Croatian media, Fenerbahçe said that the news concerning Dominik Livaković's transfer was incorrect and that the club had not received official offers from Dinamo and Olympiacos in the amounts cited in media reports. The distinction between general interest and a formal offer is particularly important. In football transfers, clubs and intermediaries often first assess a player's willingness, an approximate price and potential contractual conditions, and only afterwards submit a document that can be considered an official offer. The denial therefore does not have to exclude every form of communication, but it confirms that Fenerbahçe does not acknowledge the existence of a concrete proposal that could have been negotiated at an institutional level at that moment. In doing so, the Istanbul club retained control over the process and indicated that the publicly reported amounts could not be treated as a confirmed basis for a transfer.
Such a response is also important for the Turkish club's negotiating position. According to data from the Turkish Football Federation, Livaković's contract with Fenerbahçe runs until 30 June 2028, meaning that the club is not under immediate pressure from an expiring contract. Fenerbahçe can demand a transfer fee corresponding to its valuation of the player, arrange another loan or include him in its own plans. On the other hand, the goalkeeper himself has an interest in finding an environment in which he will play regularly, especially after a season marked by club changes and an uncertain status. The final outcome will therefore depend not only on the size of the transfer fee but also on his role, salary, contract length and the sporting project of the interested club.
The denial also demonstrates how quickly transfer information can progress from initial interest to claims that a deal is almost complete. Reports about alleged offers are often based on information from one side of the negotiations, while the club holding the player's contract may interpret the same contacts differently. In Livaković's case, Fenerbahçe decided to respond publicly, suggesting that it considered the published claims sufficiently specific to influence negotiations and public expectations. The possibility of Dinamo and Olympiacos submitting an offer has not been closed, but it is clear that any future agreement would have to be confirmed directly between the clubs. Until then, it is possible to speak about interest and potential scenarios, but not about a completed transfer.
A season divided between Girona and Dinamo
Livaković began the 2025/2026 season as a Fenerbahçe player and then joined Girona on loan on the final day of the summer transfer window. The Spanish club officially announced that the Croatian international had arrived until the end of the season, with the expectation that he would strengthen competition for the goalkeeper position. However, his spell at the Montilivi stadium did not develop according to the initial expectations. According to reports from Spanish media, Livaković failed to earn league minutes because the coach continued to favour Paulo Gazzaniga. In a season in which continuity of appearances was particularly important to him, that situation raised the question of an early termination of the loan.
On 30 January 2026, Girona confirmed that it had reached an agreement with Fenerbahçe on the early termination of the loan. On the same day, Dinamo announced Livaković's return to Zagreb, also on loan from the Turkish club until the end of the season. The goalkeeper thus rejoined, after almost two and a half years, the team where he had built the largest part of his club reputation. Dinamo's decision had clear sporting logic: the club obtained an experienced goalkeeper familiar with the environment, the league, the stadium and many of the demands accompanying performances under pressure to achieve results. In return, Livaković received an opportunity to return to a regular competitive rhythm.
According to statistics published on Dinamo's official website, Livaković made 17 appearances and played 1,560 minutes for the Zagreb club in the 2025/2026 season. In March, he also reached the major personal milestone of 300 official matches in a Dinamo shirt, becoming part of a very select group of players who have crossed that threshold. This information further explains why the idea of a permanent return to Zagreb is perceived by the public differently from an ordinary transfer. Livaković is not merely a former player of the club but one of the most recognisable goalkeepers in its recent history, with experience in European matches, domestic titles and international tournaments. Nevertheless, emotional and sporting ties alone are not sufficient to complete the deal while Fenerbahçe holds his contractual rights.
Dinamo wants continuity, but the conditions must suit all parties
A possible permanent return to Dinamo would offer Livaković several advantages. In Zagreb, he would enter a familiar environment, have a realistic possibility of holding the status of first-choice goalkeeper and continue playing for a club where he enjoys strong support from the fans. For Dinamo, retaining him would represent a solution in one of the most sensitive positions, particularly in a season in which the outcome of European qualifiers can significantly influence sporting and financial plans. An experienced goalkeeper can bring stability to the defence and also assist younger players in matches that are often decided by small details. For all these reasons, the Zagreb club's interest appears understandable from a sporting perspective even when a concrete offer has not been officially confirmed.
The main obstacle remains the financial structure. Fenerbahçe has a contract with Livaković for another two seasons after the summer of 2026, meaning that it can demand a transfer fee that Dinamo must find acceptable not only in absolute terms but also in relation to the player's salary. In addition to the transfer fee, the contract length, potential bonuses, payment schedule and individual conditions need to be aligned. If the amounts mentioned publicly are incorrect, new negotiations may begin from a different starting point. Dinamo must also assess how large a share of its budget it wishes to direct towards a goalkeeper who has already turned 31, while Fenerbahçe must decide whether an immediate transfer fee is more important or whether it should retain the possibility of a different transfer.
Under such circumstances, a model other than a conventional immediate purchase is also possible. Clubs sometimes arrange a new loan with an obligation or option to buy, payment of the transfer fee in instalments or bonuses linked to appearances and European results. None of these options has been officially confirmed in Livaković's case. Fenerbahçe's denial effectively takes the story one step backwards: before final details can be discussed, there must first be an offer that the Turkish club recognises as official. Only then can it be assessed how close the parties are to an agreement.
Olympiacos emerged as a serious alternative, but without a confirmed agreement
Olympiacos was presented in media reports as a club capable of offering Livaković strong financial conditions and the opportunity to compete for trophies in Greece. The Piraeus club regularly participates in European competitions and faces pressure to deliver results comparable to that at Fenerbahçe and Dinamo. Such an environment could be attractive to an experienced international goalkeeper if he were guaranteed a clearly defined role and a long-term sporting perspective. However, claims that an agreement was close or that the player rejected a formal offer have not yet been confirmed by a joint statement from the clubs. Fenerbahçe called precisely this part of the story into question by stating that an official offer from Olympiacos in the reported amount had not been received.
The Greek club should therefore be viewed as a possible but unconfirmed destination. A goalkeeper transfer often depends on several parallel decisions: the departure of the existing first choice, the coach's assessment, the available budget and the player's willingness to change leagues. If Olympiacos genuinely wants Livaković, it will have to reach an agreement both with him and with Fenerbahçe. The fact that details about an alleged salary appeared publicly is not proof that all conditions have been accepted. Until the clubs confirm negotiations or a transfer, the story remains within the sphere of market interest.
For Livaković, the decision is not exclusively financial. After a period at Girona without the expected playing time, the importance of a clearly defined sporting status is probably greater than during previous stages of his career. Olympiacos can offer international competition and a strong domestic project, Dinamo a familiar environment and emotional connection, while Fenerbahçe retains his contract and the possibility of reintegrating him into the squad. Each option offers a different combination of security, ambition and risk. It is therefore not unusual for negotiations to continue and for the player to wait for the market to develop before making a final decision.
International reputation increases interest but does not resolve club status
Livaković's market position does not derive solely from his performances for Dinamo and Fenerbahçe. At international level, he has built a reputation as a goalkeeper who responds well in high-pressure matches. Following the 2022 World Cup, FIFA particularly highlighted his saves in penalty shootouts against Japan and Brazil. He saved three penalties against Japan and was one of the key figures in Croatia's progression to the semi-finals in the quarter-final against Brazil. Such performances consolidated his status as one of the best-known Croatian footballers of his generation and remain an important part of his international value.
His path to that level led from Zadar and NK Zagreb to Dinamo, where he became the established goalkeeper and one of the team's leading players. He moved to Fenerbahçe in August 2023, leaving Croatian club football for the first time after a long period. In Istanbul, he experienced phases in which he was the first choice, but later lost the continuity that had defined his best years in Zagreb. The loan to Girona was intended to open a new chapter in one of Europe's strongest leagues, but it ended without the expected sporting impact. His return to Dinamo in the second half of last season was therefore important for restoring his rhythm and visibility.
International reputation can attract more interested clubs, but it does not remove the practical obstacles to a transfer. A potential buyer must accept Fenerbahçe's demands, agree personal terms with the player and assess how a 31-year-old goalkeeper fits into the team's long-term strategy. At the same time, Livaković must choose between the financial security of his existing contract and the possibility of playing more regularly elsewhere. His situation is therefore a typical example of the difference between a player's reputation and the market feasibility of a deal. A major name can generate interest, but a transfer becomes real only when contracts, the transfer fee and the sporting role are aligned.
Fenerbahçe holds the key as transfer-window timing increases the pressure
Following the club's denial, the most important fact remains unchanged: Fenerbahçe holds Livaković's registration rights and no permanent transfer can take place without its approval. Dinamo may be the player's preferred option, Olympiacos may offer a competitive project and other clubs may enter the race, but all of them must negotiate with the Istanbul giant. The contract running until the summer of 2028 allows Fenerbahçe not to accept the first offer, especially if it believes that interest could increase as the end of the transfer window approaches. The club must also consider its own squad list, foreign-player quotas, salary costs and the coaching staff's plans for the goalkeeper position.
Time is also important for Dinamo. Goalkeeper is a position in which coaches want stability before the start of crucial European matches, meaning that prolonged uncertainty can complicate the team's preparations. If the Zagreb club intends to submit a new or revised offer, it must decide how long it can wait before turning to another solution. Olympiacos and the other interested clubs face a similar problem because they also need to complete their squad planning. Livaković's case could therefore accelerate as soon as one of the candidates submits an offer that Fenerbahçe considers sufficiently serious for official negotiations.
As of 26 July 2026, there has been no published confirmation that Dominik Livaković has agreed a permanent departure from Fenerbahçe. The Turkish club's official position is that offers from Dinamo and Olympiacos in the amounts reported by the media have not been received. This does not close the door to a future transfer, but it changes the assessment of the current stage of the process: the deal is not close to being signed merely because figures and potential conditions have appeared publicly. The next credible step will be an official offer, confirmation of negotiations or a club announcement. Until then, Livaković's future remains open between a return to the familiar Zagreb environment, a new international destination and the continuation of his contractual relationship with Fenerbahçe.
Sources:
- Fenerbahçe Spor Kulübü – official announcement and club information regarding Dominik Livaković's status (link)
- Sportske novosti – report on Fenerbahçe's denial concerning offers from Dinamo and Olympiacos (link)
- Turkish Football Federation – official information concerning the duration of Livaković's contract with Fenerbahçe (link)
- Girona FC – official announcement concerning Livaković's arrival on loan from Fenerbahçe (link)
- Girona FC – official confirmation of the early termination of the loan in January 2026 (link)
- Dinamo Zagreb – official announcement concerning Livaković's return on loan in January 2026 (link)
- Dinamo Zagreb – information concerning the goalkeeper's 300th official appearance for the Zagreb club (link)
- AS – reports on Livaković's status and lack of league appearances during his loan spell at Girona (link)
- Dinamo Zagreb – official statistics concerning Livaković's appearances in the 2025/2026 season (link)
- FIFA – overview of Livaković's penalty saves and his role at the 2022 World Cup (link)