Majer's transfer to AEK brings 300,000 euros to four Zagreb clubs
The announced move of Lovro Majer from VfL Wolfsburg to AEK Athens will not have a financial impact only on the German and Greek clubs. According to calculations published in the Croatian media, four Zagreb clubs where the 28-year-old midfielder developed should jointly receive around 300,000 euros through FIFA's solidarity mechanism. The largest share, approximately 150,000 euros, would go to Lokomotiva, Dinamo should receive around 105,000 euros, Dubrava 30,000 euros, and Trnje 15,000 euros. This distribution derives from the periods spent at those clubs between the calendar years of Majer's 12th and 23rd birthdays. However, the final amounts depend on the official transfer value, the structure of any bonuses, and the data confirmed in the player's electronic passport.
According to information published on 29 July 2026, Majer completed his medical examination and arrived at AEK's base in Apeldoorn, the Netherlands, where the Greek champions are preparing for the new season. Sky Germany and Greek media reported that he was expected to sign a four-year contract, until the summer of 2030, while the clubs' official announcement was still awaited when this text was written. Kicker had previously reported that Wolfsburg and AEK had reached an agreement on a fee of around six million euros, while other sources cited an amount slightly above six million. Because of the differences between the reports, the total value of the deal should for now be regarded as an estimate rather than a definitively confirmed figure. This is also important for the Zagreb clubs because the solidarity payment is calculated on the transfer compensation actually agreed and paid.
How the 300,000 euros are divided among the clubs
The published calculation is based on a basic transfer fee of six million euros, five percent of which is exactly 300,000 euros. Lokomotiva's 150,000 euros represents half of the total solidarity fund, or 2.5 percent of the basic transfer value. Dinamo's 105,000 euros corresponds to a share of 1.75 percent of the transfer fee, while Dubrava would receive 0.5 percent and Trnje 0.25 percent. Such a distribution reflects the length of Majer's registration with each club and his age during those periods. The older the player is within the age range recognised by FIFA, the larger the annual share of the club that trained him generally becomes.
Under FIFA's rules, for the calendar years in which a player turns between 12 and 15, each full period is allocated five percent of the solidarity fund, corresponding to 0.25 percent of the total transfer fee. For the years from the 16th to the 23rd birthday, the annual share amounts to ten percent of the fund, or 0.5 percent of the total fee. If a player spent only part of a year at one club, the amount is calculated in proportion to the registration period. The final distribution is therefore not produced simply by adding up full seasons, but relies on precise dates recorded in the system. In Majer's case, the publicly reported proportions together make up the full five percent of a transfer estimated at six million euros.
Estimated distribution of the solidarity fund:
- Lokomotiva Zagreb: approximately 150,000 euros
- Dinamo Zagreb: approximately 105,000 euros
- Dubrava Tim Kabel: approximately 30,000 euros
- Trnje: approximately 15,000 euros
Why Lokomotiva receives the largest share
Majer spent the largest part of his key developmental period at Lokomotiva, which he joined as a teenager and where he made the transition from youth to senior football. The years after the 16th birthday carry an annual coefficient twice as high as the years between the 12th and 15th birthdays. As a result, according to the published calculation, Lokomotiva receives half of the entire fund, even though Majer did not spend half of all the years considered by FIFA there. His development at that club culminated in his establishment in the first team and appearances in the highest tier of Croatian football. Such a path demonstrates why the solidarity mechanism is specifically aimed at clubs that invest in a player before his market value reaches an international level.
Dinamo participates in the calculation on two grounds: because of the initial period of Majer's football development and because of the years following his return to the club in 2018. He played 100 official matches for Dinamo, scored 19 goals and recorded 26 assists, according to figures published by the club after his departure for Rennes in 2021. He won three league championships, the Croatian Cup and the Super Cup, played in the Champions League and contributed to Dinamo's run to the Europa League quarter-finals. Some of those seasons fall within the age range relevant to the solidarity payment, so Dinamo's share is estimated at 105,000 euros. Although smaller than Lokomotiva's, it is the second-largest amount in the distribution.
Dubrava and Trnje receive smaller amounts because Majer spent shorter periods at those clubs, mostly in younger age categories. However, 30,000 and 15,000 euros respectively are not merely symbolic payments, especially for clubs whose revenues are incomparably smaller than the budgets of participants in Europe's leading leagues. FIFA's model is intended precisely to enable such clubs to reinvest part of the player's subsequently created market value in work with new generations. The money is not a reward for the result of a single season, but retrospective recognition of the long-term work of coaches, academies and local football infrastructure. Majer's transfer therefore leaves a broader financial footprint across Zagreb, from professional top-flight systems to clubs operating at lower competitive levels.
What is FIFA's solidarity mechanism?
The solidarity mechanism differs from training compensation, although both instruments are intended to reward clubs that participate in the development of a young player. When a professional footballer under a valid contract moves to a club belonging to another national association for a fee, up to five percent of the agreed compensation is set aside for the clubs with which he was registered between the ages of 12 and 23. FIFA states that the distribution is conducted on the basis of the player's electronic passport, a document containing his registration history. The payment system is managed by the FIFA Clearing House, through which the beneficiaries, amounts and data required for the transaction are verified. The aim is to reduce the possibility of smaller clubs being deprived of money to which they are entitled or of payments being based on incomplete records.
The solidarity contribution may apply not only to the fixed portion of the fee but also to variable payments, including bonuses, subsequent instalments and other agreed amounts when they are activated and paid. This means that the total benefit for Lokomotiva, Dinamo, Dubrava and Trnje could increase if Majer's agreed transfer includes additions above the basic six million euros. On the other hand, the media calculation of 300,000 euros cannot be considered final until the contract is registered and the competent system confirms all relevant items. It is also possible that the way the clubs defined the gross and net fee affects how the amount is presented publicly. For this reason, it is safest to speak of the currently estimated distribution, with the possibility of later adjustment.
Transfer in the shadow of Wolfsburg's relegation
Majer joined Wolfsburg from French club Rennes in August 2023 and signed a contract until 30 June 2028, the German club announced at the time. His departure three years before the expiry of that contract activates the conditions for the solidarity payment because it is an international transfer involving a fee. According to media statistics, he made 75 appearances for Wolfsburg in all competitions, scored ten goals and added 11 assists. His final period in Germany was also marked by ankle injury problems, which caused him to miss a significant part of the 2024/25 season. After Wolfsburg's relegation to the 2. Bundesliga, the club began reshaping its squad, and Majer became one of the most prominent players linked with a departure.
The agreed fee is noticeably lower than the amount publicly associated with his earlier transfer from Rennes to Wolfsburg. Such a decline does not necessarily reflect only the player's individual value, but also the seller's circumstances, the remaining duration of the contract, the sporting situation and the negotiating position of the interested clubs. Wolfsburg's relegation created pressure to adapt the squad and costs to a second-division environment, while AEK is acquiring an experienced midfielder at an age when he should be ready to assume an important role immediately. For the Zagreb clubs, however, the decisive factor is the very existence of a transfer fee, not a comparison with Majer's previous market prices. Any future international transfer while he is under contract could once again activate the same mechanism for the periods of his development.
AEK invests as the reigning Greek champion
AEK enters the deal after winning the Greek championship in the 2025/26 season, as confirmed by the club's official chronology. The team is led by Marko Nikolić, who extended his contract until 2029 in June 2026 after guiding the club to the title. The signing of Majer fits the ambition to maintain AEK's domestic competitiveness and improve the quality of its midfield for European commitments. Greek media claim that the total package, especially if bonuses and salary are included, could rank among the largest investments in the club's history. Since the contract has not yet been published in full, such comparisons remain media estimates.
For Majer, a move to Athens would mean a new league after experiences in Croatia, France and Germany. His profile as a creative midfielder capable of playing between the lines and contributing to the final phase of attacks suits a team that will spend most of its domestic matches facing opponents in a low block. At the same time, expectations will be high because a fee of approximately six million euros represents a significant investment for the Greek market. A contract until 2030 would give AEK long-term control over the player, while also opening the possibility of a future sale if Majer raises his market value again. In such a scenario, the clubs from Zagreb could once more become beneficiaries of the solidarity fund.
Player development gains measurable financial value
The distribution of money from Majer's transfer is a concrete example of how a single international deal can connect clubs of different sizes and competitive levels. Lokomotiva and Dinamo receive the largest shares because of the longer and later developmental periods, while Dubrava and Trnje are recognised for the work performed during the earlier stages of his football upbringing. Such payments are particularly important in systems where local clubs bear the costs of training large numbers of children, even though only a small proportion of them later complete a professional international transfer. The mechanism does not guarantee a return to every club, but creates the possibility that an individual's success after several years will bring funds to the entire development chain. In Majer's case, that chain is located almost entirely in Zagreb.
The four clubs should therefore share at least around 300,000 euros after completion of the transfer, according to the currently published parameters. The precise amount will be known when AEK and Wolfsburg officially complete the deal, register the transfer and FIFA's system confirms the data from the player's career. If bonuses or other additional payments are activated, the solidarity contribution may subsequently be increased in the same proportions. For Lokomotiva, Dinamo, Dubrava and Trnje, this is a direct financial result of work invested years before Majer's departure abroad. The transfer to Athens is therefore not only the next chapter of his career, but also a rare moment in which the developmental journey of a single player can be precisely expressed in euros for every club that participated in it.
Sources:
- FIFA TMS Help Centre – rules, calculation and implementation of the solidarity mechanism through the player's electronic passport and the FIFA Clearing House (link)
- Kicker – agreement between Wolfsburg and AEK, estimated fee and contract until 2030 (link)
- Sky Germany / Yahoo Sports – medical examination and final stage of the transfer on 29 July 2026 (link)
- 24sata – estimated distribution of 300,000 euros to Lokomotiva, Dinamo, Dubrava and Trnje (link)
- AEK FC – official information on winning the Greek championship in the 2025/26 season (link)
- AEK FC – official profile of coach Marko Nikolić and contract extension until 2029 (link)
- VfL Wolfsburg – official announcement of Majer's arrival from Rennes and contract until 2028 (link)
- Dinamo Zagreb – official figures for Majer's 100 appearances, 19 goals, 26 assists and trophies won (link)