Hajduk opens summer reconstruction: Kalik and Diallo are leaving, several experienced players may look for a new club
After the end of the 2025/2026 season, Hajduk entered the first phase of the summer reshaping of the squad, and the first personnel decisions show that more significant changes will follow at Poljud. Anthony Kalik and Ismaël Diallo will leave the club because their contracts expire on 31 May and will not be extended. These are two players who had different roles in the team in previous seasons, but both were part of the wider competitive squad. According to available information, the match against Vukovar 1991 was the final point of their period in the white shirt. In this way, Hajduk has already opened space at the start of the transfer period for changes in midfield and defence.
Apart from their departure, the club's decisions have also affected some players who have valid contracts. Zvonimir Šarlija, Filip Krovinović and Hugo Guillamón have been given permission to look for a new club, which does not necessarily mean that all of them will definitely leave, but it shows that a different squad structure for the new season is being considered at Poljud. Ante Rebić has been offered a new contract, and his decision is expected soon. Iker Almena's loan ends at the end of the season, but the continuation of the cooperation currently, according to available information, seems financially demanding, although talks with his parent club have not yet been concluded.
Kalik and Diallo are the first to leave the squad
Anthony Kalik is leaving Hajduk after a period in which he was often used as a rotation player, especially in matches in which coaches needed energy in midfield, pressure on the opponent's back line or an additional option between the midfield and attacking phases. According to Hajduk's official website, Kalik recorded 129 appearances in the white shirt, with eight goals and nine assists. He came to Poljud from Gorica, and before that he played in Australia, where he was born and developed as a footballer. His departure is not a surprise in the context of the expiry of his contract, but it is important because Hajduk remains without a player who knew the league, the rhythm of the club and the demands of playing under constant pressure for results.
Ismaël Diallo is leaving the club after having the role of left-back and member of the back line at Hajduk. According to the club's official data, he played 59 matches for Hajduk, scored two goals and recorded three assists. He arrived in Split as a free agent after a period in French football, and Hajduk announced upon his arrival that he had signed a contract until the summer of 2026 with the possibility of extension. As the cooperation will not continue, the club will have to clearly define solutions on the left side of defence in the upcoming transfer window, especially if other changes also occur in the back line.
The departure of two players whose contracts are expiring is one of the usual ways of rationalising the squad after the end of the season. At that moment, clubs assess not only individual quality, but also the relationship between salary, minutes played, age, market value and fit into the plan of the new coach or sporting sector. In Hajduk's case, these decisions come after a season in which the team had high expectations, but also a need for a new balance between experience, financial sustainability and result ambitions. That is why the first decisions cannot be viewed only as an administrative expiry of contracts, but as an introduction to a broader reshaping.
Šarlija, Krovinović and Guillamón have been given permission for talks
Particular attention is drawn by the information that Zvonimir Šarlija, Filip Krovinović and Hugo Guillamón have been given permission to look for a new club. Such a formulation usually means that the club is not closing the door to their stay, but also that it is ready to listen to offers or enable the players to leave if a solution acceptable to all parties appears. Šarlija was part of the centre-back rotation at Hajduk, and his future will be important for assessing the depth of the back line. If his departure is realised, the sporting sector will have to take care that the defence does not remain without enough experience and physical strength.
Filip Krovinović carries a different weight in this group because he is a player with a long tenure at Hajduk and a large number of appearances. According to the club's official website, Krovinović recorded 192 appearances, 21 goals and 14 assists in the white shirt. He arrived in Split after experience in Portugal and England, and over the years he was one of the team's most technically recognisable midfielders. His possible departure would also have a symbolic dimension because it would mark the continuation of the move away from the core that carried a large part of previous seasons.
Hugo Guillamón arrived at Hajduk from Valencia, and the club announced upon his arrival that he had signed a contract until the summer of 2027. According to Hajduk's official data, the Spanish midfielder had collected 26 appearances by the end of the season, with one assist. His status is particularly interesting because he is a player who arrived with a strong Spanish football pedigree, but the question of his fit into the plan for next season is obviously not completely closed. Permission to look for a new club may be a signal that Hajduk wants to free up space in the budget, reduce the number of players with larger contracts or open a place for a different profile of midfielder.
Rebić before a decision on continuing cooperation
Ante Rebić remains one of the most important open questions in this phase of the transfer period. Hajduk has offered him a new contract, and the decision is expected soon. According to the club's official statistics, Rebić recorded 30 appearances, seven goals and six assists in the season in the white shirt. These are numbers that show that, despite fluctuations and adaptation to a return to the Croatian football context, he had a concrete attacking effect. For Hajduk, his stay would mean keeping a player with international experience, physical strength and the ability to cover several attacking positions.
Rebić's decision does not depend only on his sporting role, but probably also on the length of the contract, financial terms, the club's ambitions and an assessment of his own career. A player who played in Italy, Germany and Turkey, and was part of the Croatian national-team generation with major international results, has at Hajduk the status of a reinforcement valued also through experience. If he accepts the offer, Hajduk will have an important attacking pillar ahead of preparations. If he rejects it, the sporting sector will have to look for a replacement who can bring a similar combination of strength, experience and goal-scoring impact.
For the club, it is important that the decision is made early enough so that the planning of preparations can be as precise as possible. Attacking positions are generally the most expensive to fill, and players of Rebić's profile are rarely available without serious financial demands. For that reason, the continuation or termination of cooperation with him will directly affect the transfer-window strategy. At the same time, Hajduk must take care of result objectives, the budget and the need not to change the team so much that it loses competitive stability.
Almena wants continuity, but finances make the job harder
The status of Iker Almena is one of the more complex cases in summer planning. His loan ends at the end of the season, and the continuation of the cooperation currently does not seem likely because of financial limitations. According to available information, talks with the parent club are still ongoing, but Hajduk does not have full control in such negotiations because the final decision also depends on the terms of the club that holds the player's rights. Almena arrived in Split as a young Spanish winger and during the season showed characteristics that are important for modern attacking play: speed, directness, one-on-one play and the ability to stretch the pitch.
According to Transfermarkt data, Almena is under contract with Al-Qadsiah until the summer of 2028, which further complicates the negotiations. Such a contractual status generally means that the parent club is not under pressure for a quick sale or a lenient agreement, unless it itself assesses that a new loan or transfer is in its interest. Hajduk, on the other hand, must be careful not to enter into a financial deal that would disturb the wage structure or limit other moves in the transfer window. That is why the continuation of the cooperation is possible only if a model is found that would be sustainable for the Split club.
Almena's case clearly shows the broader problem of clubs outside the biggest European markets. When a loaned player proves useful, his price or the conditions for his stay often rise, and the parent club retains the negotiating advantage. Hajduk therefore has to weigh sporting benefit against financial discipline. If Almena does not stay, the club will have to look for a winger with similar characteristics, which is not simple because speed, explosiveness and concrete impact in the final third are among the most sought-after qualities on the market.
The end of the season and the broader context of the decisions
Hajduk concluded the season with the 36th-round SuperSport HNL match against Vukovar 1991 at Poljud. According to the official match report of the Croatian Football Federation, the match was played on 22 May 2026 in Split, Hajduk won 6:3, and there were 11,355 spectators at the stadium. Such an end to the season brought an offensively impressive match, but the personnel decisions that followed show that the sporting sector had already turned toward the next cycle. Final matches often also serve as a last assessment of players whose contracts are expiring or whose status is open.
According to the official SuperSport HNL website, the season ended after 36 rounds played, and the statistical league overviews confirm the broader competitive framework in which Hajduk is planning a new team. In such an environment, every decision on the departure or stay of a player carries double weight: it affects sporting results, but also the financial possibility of bringing in new reinforcements. Clubs that want to be competitive must react quickly, while at the same time avoiding impulsive moves that can burden the budget. In that sense, Hajduk is entering a period in which the ability for precise planning will be measured.
The decisions about Kalik, Diallo, Šarlija, Krovinović, Guillamón, Rebić and Almena show that these are not merely cosmetic changes. These are players of different profiles, different market values and different importance for the dressing room. Some of them had been at the club for several seasons, some arrived as reinforcements with international experience, and some represented a development or loan option. Such a combination of departures, possible transfers and open negotiations means that Hajduk could enter preparations with a noticeably changed squad.
The transfer window as a test of the sporting direction
The biggest challenge for Hajduk now is to avoid a situation in which too many positions open up at the same time without ready solutions. Diallo's departure opens the question of left-back, Šarlija's possible departure the question of centre-back rotation, and a potential parting with Krovinović and Guillamón changes the picture of midfield. If Rebić does not accept the new contract, Hajduk will also have to look for an attacking solution that can immediately carry an effect. If Almena does not stay, the question of width and speed on the wing positions opens further. All of this points to a transfer window in which the priority will be balance, not just individual names.
The sporting sector must also decide whether it will rely more on younger players from the existing squad, seek reinforcements from the domestic league or turn to the foreign market. Each of these options carries its own advantages and risks. Younger players can bring energy and market potential, but require time and patience. The domestic market offers faster adaptation, but a limited choice and high prices for proven players. Foreign solutions can bring quality, but also the risk of adaptation to the league, the club and the pressure of Poljud.
The first decisions after the season should therefore be read as the beginning of a process, not as its end. Hajduk has clarified part of the status of players whose contracts are expiring and opened the possibility of an exit for those who may no longer be at the centre of the plan. The next steps will show whether the club will manage to quickly close key positions and enter preparations with a clear hierarchy. Until then, the most attention will be directed toward Rebić's decision, the possible outcome around Almena and offers that may arrive for players who have been allowed to look for a new environment.
Sources:
- HNK Hajduk Split – official profile of Anthony Kalik and statistics of appearances at Hajduk (link)
- HNK Hajduk Split – official profile of Ismaël Diallo and statistics of appearances at Hajduk (link)
- HNK Hajduk Split – official profile of Filip Krovinović and statistics of appearances at Hajduk (link)
- HNK Hajduk Split – official profile of Ante Rebić and statistics of appearances at Hajduk (link)
- HNK Hajduk Split – official announcement on the arrival of Hugo Guillamón and his contractual status (link)
- Croatian Football Federation – official match report for Hajduk - Vukovar 1991, 36th round of the SuperSport HNL (link)
- SuperSport HNL – official table and statistical overview of the season (link)
- Slobodna Dalmacija – report on the first departures and personnel changes at Poljud (link)
- Sportklub – report on the departures of Anthony Kalik and Ismaël Diallo from Hajduk (link)
- Index Sport – article on the status of Iker Almena and the difficult circumstances of a possible stay at Hajduk (link)
- Transfermarkt – Iker Almena profile and contractual data with Al-Qadsiah (link)