Lovro Majer on the verge of signing for AEK: more than six million euros for Wolfsburg, deal nearing completion in Athens
Lovro Majer is on the verge of leaving Wolfsburg and continuing his career at AEK Athens after the two clubs reached a verbal agreement on a transfer worth more than six million euros. Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano reported the information on 27 July, while German and other European media outlets provided additional coverage during 28 July. According to the available information, negotiations over personal terms are also in their final stages, while completion of the deal depends on a medical examination, the signing of the contract and the exchange of final documentation between the clubs. Sky Germany reported that the contract should run until the summer of 2030, but the duration of the agreement, the structure of the transfer fee and any potential bonuses have not yet been officially confirmed. AEK and Wolfsburg had not issued a final announcement by the time this article was completed, meaning the transfer must still be described as a deal in its final stage rather than a formally completed move.
For the 28-year-old Majer, a transfer to Athens would mark the end of a three-year period in German football and the beginning of a new chapter at a club entering the season as the reigning Greek champion. For Wolfsburg, the sale would form part of a broader squad restructuring following relegation from the Bundesliga, the club's first after 29 consecutive seasons in Germany's top flight. AEK, on the other hand, would acquire a technically gifted midfielder with experience in France, Germany, European club competitions and the Croatian national team. Although the fee of more than six million euros has not been officially broken down, it is an amount that confirms the Athens club sees Majer as an important reinforcement rather than a short-term solution intended merely to add depth to the squad.
Medical examination is the final major obstacle
According to the initial reports, Majer was expected to travel to Athens during the week to undergo a medical examination and complete negotiations over personal terms. Sky Germany stated on 28 July that the examination was scheduled for the same day and that it should be followed by the signing of a contract running until 2030. Such information suggests that negotiations between the clubs have entered their final operational phase, but a transfer in professional football becomes definitive only after all contractual parties have signed, medical clearance has been granted and the player has been registered. It is therefore important to distinguish a verbal agreement from an officially completed transfer, particularly while neither club has published photographs of the signing, the contract duration or details of the financial package. It is also currently unclear whether the agreement includes bonuses linked to appearances, AEK's results or a future sale of the player.
Wolfsburg is not under contractual pressure to sell Majer because his agreement is close to expiring. When announcing his arrival from Rennes in August 2023, the German club stated that he had signed a five-year contract, running until 30 June 2028. For that very reason, the agreed fee and the decision to transfer him primarily reflect the changed sporting circumstances following the club's relegation to the second tier. Wolfsburg lost the play-off against Paderborn in May by an aggregate score of 2:1, after a 0:0 draw in the first match and a 2:1 defeat in the return leg. The Bundesliga's official website described the result as the end of Wolfsburg's uninterrupted 29-year stay among Germany's top-flight clubs, opening the door to a major summer rebuild of the squad and the departure of players with international experience.
AEK building a team to defend the title
A move to AEK would allow Majer to remain at a club with high competitive ambitions and significant pressure to win trophies. The Athens club's official website states that coach Marko Nikolić took charge of the team in the summer of 2025, immediately won the Greek championship and extended his contract until 2029 on 8 June 2026. Such developments provide AEK with continuity on the bench and a clear sporting structure as the team prepares to defend its title. In Nikolić's system, Majer could be used as an attacking or central midfielder, depending on the positioning of his teammates and the requirements of each match. His ability to receive the ball between the lines, take set pieces and deliver the final pass suits a team that will have to attack organised defences in a large number of domestic matches.
AEK is one of Greece's most historically successful clubs, and the competitive demands in Athens regularly go beyond merely challenging near the top of the table. The current title further increases expectations, as the team will simultaneously have to maintain consistency in the domestic championship and meet the European obligations associated with a club of such status. In that context, Majer's experience may be just as important as his technical ability. He has played in several tactically different leagues, experienced high-pressure matches with Dinamo, Rennes and Wolfsburg, and appeared at the biggest international tournaments. For AEK, it is particularly significant that the club is not signing a player who still needs to adapt to senior football, but a midfielder at an age when maturity, an immediate contribution and the ability to take responsibility are expected.
During his career, Nikolić has worked in Serbia, Slovenia, Hungary, Russia and the United Arab Emirates, while AEK retained him on a long-term contract after winning the championship. Majer's potential arrival can therefore also be viewed as part of a project that is not based solely on a single summer transfer window. A four-year contract, if confirmed, would mean that the club plans to build its midfield around a player entering the prime years of his career. At the same time, Majer would have the opportunity in Athens to once again assume a more prominent creative role than the one he occasionally held during Wolfsburg's demanding and unstable period.
Wolfsburg's relegation accelerated the changes
Wolfsburg's 2025/26 season ended in a sporting failure that significantly changed the club's position in the market. After battling to avoid relegation and entering the additional play-offs, the team failed to preserve its top-flight status against Paderborn. Relegation to the 2. Bundesliga increased the need to reduce costs, adapt the squad to the new competition and create room for players willing to accept a different sporting role. In such circumstances, the departure of an international player under contract until 2028 is not unexpected, although the transfer fee remains an important indicator of the club's negotiating position. Once the deal is officially completed, Wolfsburg will be able to redirect the funds towards rebuilding the squad, while Majer will avoid spending a season outside the top division.
According to official Bundesliga statistics, Majer made 28 appearances in the 2025/26 league season, scoring two goals and providing three assists. The numbers alone do not show the complete picture of his role, but they demonstrate that he was regularly involved in the team during a season that ended in relegation. His period at Wolfsburg was also marked by injuries, particularly in the 2024/25 season, when he had to undergo a lengthy recovery after a strong start and two goals against Bayern. In November 2024, the club announced that he had undergone surgery, and he returned to the pitch in the spring of 2025. Such interruptions affected his continuity but did not diminish his reputation as a player capable of creating chances and linking the midfield with the attack.
For the German club, the transfer also has a symbolic dimension. Majer arrived during a period when Wolfsburg was attempting to consolidate its status as a stable Bundesliga club with European ambitions, while he is leaving following relegation to the second tier and the beginning of a considerably deeper reconstruction. His contract still had two years remaining, meaning the club was not forced to accept the first offer received. Nevertheless, the player's desire to compete at a high level and AEK's interest created circumstances in which an agreement became possible. If the deal is confirmed under the reported terms, Wolfsburg will receive more than six million euros, while Majer will move to an environment offering him a title challenge and an important role in an ambitious team.
From Zagreb through Rennes and Wolfsburg to Athens
Majer's senior career developed gradually, from establishing himself at Lokomotiva and Dinamo to a transfer to one of Europe's strongest leagues. At Dinamo, he gained experience competing for domestic trophies and playing in European competitions, and in August 2021 he signed a five-year contract with French club Rennes. Rennes' official announcement from 2023, issued on the occasion of his departure for Wolfsburg, stated that he had played 79 matches for the French club in all competitions, scoring nine goals and registering 16 assists. That return confirmed his ability to adapt outside his domestic league and opened the door to the Bundesliga. Wolfsburg presented him as a Croatian international and tied him to a contract until 2028, expecting him to become one of the leading figures in the creative part of the team.
In international football, Majer participated in a period of major success for Croatia. He was a member of the team that finished third at the 2022 World Cup, while FIFA's official statistics also record his goal in the 4:1 group-stage victory over Canada. He scored it in the fourth minute of stoppage time, completing one of Croatia's most important victories on the path to the bronze medal. Experience from such a tournament, as well as appearances in qualifiers and other international competitions, increases the value he would bring to AEK. The Athens club would not merely be acquiring a technically gifted player, but a midfielder accustomed to matches in which space is limited, pressure is intense and decisions must be made quickly.
His profile is best suited to the role of a player operating between the middle and final thirds of the pitch. He can participate in the build-up of attacks, but he is most dangerous when receiving the ball while facing the opposition goal and looking for a vertical pass, a long-range shot or a combination on the edge of the penalty area. His left foot provides additional value when taking free kicks and corners, while his experience in several positions allows him to adapt to different formations. At AEK, he could therefore play as a classic number ten, a deep-lying playmaker or one of two more attacking midfielders. His final role will depend on Nikolić's plan and developments during the remainder of the transfer window.
Transfer fee confirmed only approximately
The most frequently mentioned financial figure is a transfer fee of more than six million euros. That amount was first reported in stories citing Fabrizio Romano and was subsequently carried by a number of European media outlets. However, without official statements, it is impossible to confirm the size of the fixed portion, whether bonuses exist and whether Wolfsburg has retained a percentage of any future sale. In football transfers, initially reported amounts often include different combinations of guaranteed payments and add-ons, meaning the final value may depend on the number of appearances, the club's league position or European results. For now, it is therefore most accurate to state that a total fee exceeding six million euros has been agreed, while noting that the official structure has not been published.
AEK's willingness to make such an investment demonstrates that Majer is not intended to be a rotation player. A contract until 2030, if confirmed by the club, would cover four seasons and give the Athens side the opportunity to manage the player from both a sporting and financial perspective over a longer period. For Majer, that would mean stability after a turbulent conclusion to his time at Wolfsburg, but also an obligation to adapt quickly to a new league, language and the expectations of the supporters. Greek football differs from the Bundesliga in its tempo, match structure and the intensity of derby fixtures, while AEK enters the season as champion under constant pressure to deliver results. The ability to turn creativity into consistent output will therefore be the primary measure of the transfer's success.
Official confirmation expected after the final formalities
At the time this article was completed, Majer was still listed in Wolfsburg's squad on the club's official website, while AEK had neither added him to its list of players nor published an unveiling. That does not contradict the reports of an agreement, but indicates that the administrative part had not yet been publicly completed. A medical examination is normally followed by final contract alignment, signatures, registration and a club announcement containing the player's first statements. Only then will all confirmed details become known, including his squad number, the precise duration of the contract and any possible bonuses. Until that point, only the formal possibility of a change remains open, although available reports from multiple sources indicate that the deal is very close to completion.
If the transfer is confirmed, Majer will arrive in Athens at a moment when both sides are seeking a fresh start. AEK wants to strengthen the team after winning the Greek championship and maintain continuity under Marko Nikolić, while the Croatian midfielder wants to regain a central role at a club competing for trophies. Following its historic relegation, Wolfsburg will continue restructuring the squad for a return to the Bundesliga. The deal worth more than six million euros is therefore not merely a change of club for one player, but part of broader sporting processes in Athens and Wolfsburg. The final steps should reveal whether the verbal agreement will develop into one of AEK's most notable transactions of the 2026 summer transfer window.
Sources:
- HRT Sport – report on the verbal agreement between AEK and Wolfsburg and a transfer fee exceeding six million euros (link)
- Sky Germany / Yahoo Sports – information from 28 July concerning the medical examination and a possible contract until 2030 (link)
- VfL Wolfsburg – official announcement regarding Majer's arrival from Rennes and his contract until 30 June 2028 (link)
- VfL Wolfsburg – official announcement concerning surgery and a prolonged absence during the 2024/25 season (link)
- Bundesliga – official report on Wolfsburg's relegation after 29 seasons in the top flight (link)
- Bundesliga – official profile and statistics of Lovro Majer for the 2025/26 season (link)
- AEK FC – official profile of coach Marko Nikolić, the championship title and the contract extension until 2029 (link)
- Stade Rennais FC – official overview of Majer's record at Rennes before his transfer to Wolfsburg (link)
- FIFA – official record of the Croatia versus Canada match at the 2022 World Cup (link)