Franjo Ivanović close to joining Hull City: the deal should bring Benfica at least 25 million euros
Croatian striker Franjo Ivanović could leave Benfica after just one season and continue his career in the English Premier League. According to information from the Portuguese sports media O Jogo and A Bola, Benfica and Hull City have moved closer to an agreement on a paid loan that would include an obligation to buy, while the total value of the deal should reach at least 25 million euros. Such a model would allow the Lisbon club to protect its investment in the player signed in the summer of 2025, while newly promoted Hull would acquire a striker without having to pay the entire amount immediately. However, as of August 2, 2026, the negotiations have still not ended with an official announcement, so Ivanović remains a Benfica player until the contract is signed and registered.
According to the available information, the clubs are aligning the final elements of the transfer structure, including the conditions under which the mandatory purchase would become active. The exact criteria have not been publicly disclosed, and it has not been confirmed whether the player's personal terms, medical examination and payment schedule have been fully agreed either. It is therefore important to distinguish between a model agreed in principle and a completed transfer. Neither Benfica nor Hull City had confirmed Ivanović's departure for England through their official channels by the time this text was published. Portuguese reports nevertheless state that the talks are in their final stage and that Hull is currently the most likely next destination for the 22-year-old striker.
A loan with an obligation to buy protects Benfica's investment
The financial structure is one of the key reasons why Benfica is insisting on an obligation to buy rather than merely an option that the English club could decline to activate. O Jogo states that the sum of the loan fee and the future purchase price should amount to around 25 million euros. A Bola also reports on a deal of that value, describing the proposed loan as a solution favourable to the Portuguese club. In some reports, the amount is presented as a minimum, leaving open the possibility of additional bonuses, although their structure is not yet known. Without a published contract, it is impossible to confirm how much Benfica would receive immediately and how much after the purchase clause is activated.
Benfica signed Ivanović from Belgian club Union Saint-Gilloise on July 31, 2025, and agreed a contract with him until 2030. Portuguese media reported at the time a fixed investment of 22.8 million euros, with possible add-ons linked to the achievement of certain objectives. If the current deal is completed for at least 25 million euros, the Lisbon club would nominally recover most or all of its initial investment, depending on which bonuses from the previous transfer have already been activated and what related obligations exist towards the former club. The final calculation therefore cannot be made simply by comparing the two publicly mentioned figures. It is clear, however, that through the proposed model Benfica is seeking to avoid a financial loss after a season in which Ivanović did not permanently secure the status of first-choice striker.
For Hull City, such an arrangement spreads the cost over at least two accounting periods, which may be important for a club that must strengthen several positions at the same time for its return season in the Premier League. A paid loan does not mean that the transfer is cheaper, but rather that part of the obligation is postponed, while the mandatory purchase clause creates a future financial commitment. This is precisely why the activation criteria are so important: they determine whether the purchase is practically guaranteed or depends on clearly defined sporting circumstances. The available reports suggest that the purchase should be mandatory, but the full legal details have not been published. Until the clubs confirm the deal, the total value of 25 million euros should be viewed as an amount reported by media sources rather than an officially announced transfer fee.
The season in Lisbon brought goals, but not unquestioned status
Ivanović arrived at Benfica after a highly productive season in Belgium, which meant expectations were high. The Portuguese club's official profile for the 2025/26 league season records 25 appearances, six goals and one assist in the league. When all competitions are included, Portuguese reports cite 42 appearances, eight goals and two assists. The figures show that he participated in a large part of the season, but also that he did not have the role of an untouchable starter in attack. In a team competing for domestic trophies and regularly playing European matches, the distribution of minutes and competition at the top of the attack directly affect the development of a young centre-forward.
His season also included important moments. In March 2026, Benfica announced that Ivanović had been named man of the match after scoring the winning goal against Arouca in stoppage time. In April, he also scored against Moreirense, and during preparations for the new season he found the net against Belenenses. Such performances confirmed his ability to influence the result even when he does not start the match. Nevertheless, occasional flashes did not automatically resolve the question of long-term playing time, so the possibility of a departure became realistic as soon as clubs appeared that were willing to accept Benfica's financial terms.
In previous weeks, other clubs had also been linked with Ivanović. Portuguese and Spanish media mentioned Como, Real Betis and Galatasaray, with the models of a possible deal varying from a loan with an option to a permanent transfer. According to reports from O Jogo, Benfica preferred a sale or a loan with an obligation to buy for an amount close to what it had invested itself. Hull's willingness to negotiate on precisely that basis was probably important in moving it to the front of the race. Nevertheless, without official confirmation it is impossible to rule out a change in circumstances, additional negotiations or the involvement of another interested club.
Reunion with Sergej Jakirović
A possible move to Hull would also have an important sporting connection: Ivanović would work with Sergej Jakirović again. The current Hull City coach briefly managed him at Rijeka before taking over Dinamo in August 2023, so he knows his early steps in senior football well. Hull appointed Jakirović on June 11, 2025, on a two-year contract, with a club option for another season. In his very first year, he achieved promotion to the Premier League, which the competition's official website highlighted as his greatest success since taking charge of the English club. Familiarity with the coach, his working system and his expectations could make Ivanović's adaptation to the new league easier.
Jakirović secured promotion with Hull through the Championship play-offs. In the final at Wembley, his team defeated Middlesbrough 1-0 and became the third promoted club, alongside Coventry City and Ipswich Town. Hull thus returned to the top tier of English football for the 2026/27 season, for the first time since being relegated at the end of the 2016/17 season. The return brings significantly higher revenues, but also a need for a broader, faster and higher-quality squad. Signing a striker in his early twenties, with experience in the Portuguese league, European competitions and international football, fits into an attempt to build a team capable of meeting the demands of survival while retaining market value.
Hull opens the new league season on August 22, 2026, with a home match against Manchester United, according to the Premier League schedule. That date creates a clear timeframe for completing the most important incoming transfers and integrating new players into preparations. A striker arriving from another league will need time for tactical integration, getting to know his teammates and adapting to the intensity of English football. Both sides would therefore have an interest in completing the deal sufficiently early, although the speed of negotiations cannot replace the legal and medical procedures. Ivanović's potential arrival before the start of the league would allow him at least part of the preparation period under a coach he already knows.
From Augsburg and Rijeka to the Belgian title
Ivanović's rise to Benfica was rapid. He developed as a footballer in Austria and Germany, and progressed through Augsburg's system to senior competition before moving to Rijeka in 2023. According to the information published by Benfica when he was presented, he played 51 matches and scored 16 goals for the Rijeka club. In the Croatian league, he established himself as a striker capable of attacking space, playing at high intensity and finishing moves from different positions. His good performances opened the way to Union Saint-Gilloise, where his productivity increased further.
When he left for Lisbon, the Belgian club stated that he had recorded 21 goals and seven assists in 47 matches. In the same announcement, Union highlighted his contribution to winning the Belgian title and to the European campaign, meaning that in a single season Ivanović gained experience of competing for trophies and playing international matches. It was precisely this combination of youth, physical potential and tangible finishing ability that prompted Benfica to make a major investment. The season in Portugal did not bring the same goalscoring output as his period in Belgium, but it did not halt market interest in him either. A potential transfer to the Premier League shows that clubs still view him as a player with room for development rather than as a finished product.
From the youth levels onward, Ivanović chose to represent Croatia, and he made his senior international debut on March 20, 2025, against France in the Nations League. When he arrived, Benfica stated that he had recorded four senior appearances and scored two goals by that point, having previously represented several Croatian youth selections. His international status increases his global visibility, but also the importance of regular playing time at club level. A move to Hull could provide him with greater scope for continuity, although a place in the starting line-up would not be guaranteed even after the transfer. In the Premier League, he would have to prove that he can maintain his effectiveness against faster defences and under considerably greater weekly pressure.
What Hull gains and what Ivanović risks
Through a possible transfer, Hull would acquire a striker who has already experienced several different football environments while retaining developmental value. Ivanović can play as a central striker, and his career so far shows that he can adapt to teams that attack space and demand active work without the ball. For a newly promoted team, it is particularly important that a striker can participate in pressing, retain the ball under pressure and exploit transitional situations, because promoted teams often have less possession against the strongest opponents. His familiarity with Jakirović's requirements reduces part of the tactical uncertainty. On the other hand, a transfer value of at least 25 million euros would create an expectation of an immediate impact.
For the player himself, the advantage would be an opportunity for a more significant role in the world's most watched domestic league. Regular appearances could strengthen his position in the competition for places in the national team and increase his value if the adaptation proves successful. The risk is equally clear: Hull will probably fight to avoid relegation, meaning that strikers may spend large portions of matches without many high-quality chances. In such an environment, goalscoring statistics often depend on a small number of situations, and every missed chance carries more weight. In addition, the obligation to buy could link the player and the club in the long term even if the first season proves difficult, depending on the final contractual terms.
For Benfica, the possible departure is primarily a decision about the allocation of the squad and capital. The club would part with a young striker after one year, but in return it would free up space in the team and almost completely protect last year's investment. Such a decision would not necessarily mean that Ivanović had been written off from a sporting perspective; it would indicate more that his role, the competition and the current market offer do not align with the Lisbon club's plan. Accepting a structured deal with Hull would be particularly understandable if the mandatory purchase leaves little financial risk. The final assessment will nevertheless depend on the amount of the paid loan fee, repayment deadlines, bonuses and the criteria that are still being aligned.
The most important fact as of August 2 remains that the transfer has not been officially confirmed. Portuguese sources describe the negotiations as highly advanced and cite a total value of at least 25 million euros, but an official announcement from the clubs will be the only confirmation of the final model, the duration of the loan and the purchase conditions. Until then, it is realistic to describe Ivanović as a player close to joining Hull City, not as a completed signing. If the agreement is signed, the Croatian striker will take another major step in his career and reunite with a coach who knows him from Rijeka. Hull, meanwhile, would acquire one of the most expensive signings of its return season, together with the obligation to justify the investment on the most demanding domestic stage.
Sources:
- O Jogo – report on the final stage of negotiations, the loan with an obligation to buy and a total value of approximately 25 million euros (link)
- A Bola – information on the loan model and a possible 25-million-euro deal between Benfica and Hull City (link)
- SL Benfica – official confirmation of Ivanović's arrival from Union Saint-Gilloise and his contract until 2030 (link)
- SL Benfica – official player profile with statistics for the 2025/26 league season (link)
- Union Saint-Gilloise – official figures of 21 goals and seven assists in 47 appearances before the transfer to Benfica (link)
- Hull City – official announcement of Sergej Jakirović's appointment and the duration of his contract (link)
- Premier League – official confirmation of Hull City's promotion to the top flight for the 2026/27 season (link)
- Premier League – Sergej Jakirović's profile and confirmation of promotion in his first season in charge of Hull (link)