Partizan reportedly moved for Iker Pozo, Gorica rejected the first million-euro offer
According to information from Italian football insider Lorenzo Lepore, reported by Croatian media on 25 May 2026, HNK Gorica rejected Belgrade-based Partizan's offer for Spanish midfielder Iker Pozo. It was reported that the Serbian club offered 1.5 million euros for the 25-year-old footballer, but that in Velika Gorica they did not consider that amount sufficient to complete the transfer. According to the same claims, Partizan could return in the coming days with an improved offer, while other clubs are also monitoring the situation around Pozo. Official confirmation from Gorica or Partizan about the negotiations has not been published for now, so at this stage the information can be treated as a serious market indication, but not as a completed deal. In any case, the interest in Pozo comes after a season in which the Spanish midfielder became one of the most notable players in the Velika Gorica team.
What was published about Partizan's offer
According to Lorenzo Lepore's post, which was reported by Jutarnji list, 24sata, Index and Dnevnik.hr, Partizan sent Gorica an offer worth 1.5 million euros for Iker Pozo. The reports state that the offer was rejected and that the Belgrade club has not given up on the possibility of bringing in the midfielder. Such a development indicates that Gorica values its player above the amount that was initially offered, especially after his good season in the SuperSport HNL. Although the transfer window has not yet entered the final phase of market negotiations, the published information shows that Pozo could be one of the more important names in summer business connected with the Croatian championship. For a club like Gorica, which in recent years has often developed and sold players, the question of the transfer fee and the timing of the sale is just as important as the sporting assessment of the player's value for the new season.
Considering that this is an insider's post and not official club communication, the text should maintain the distinction between confirmed data and market claims. It is confirmed that Pozo is a Gorica player and that he has an important role in the team, which follows from the player's official profile on the club website. The published amount of 1.5 million euros, Partizan's interest and the possibility of a new offer are currently based on claims reported by the media citing Lepore. Such information during the football transfer window often precedes concrete negotiations, but the final outcome depends on an agreement between the clubs, the player's wishes, the payment structure and possible bonuses. At this moment, it has not been officially confirmed whether the clubs have negotiated directly about the details of the contract, nor has it been published what kind of personal terms Pozo might have in Belgrade.
Why Pozo became interesting on the market
Iker Pozo arrived at Gorica on 1 July 2025, when the club officially announced that the Spanish defensive midfielder had signed a two-year contract. Gorica then stated that Pozo had gone through the youth ranks of Real Madrid and Manchester City, that he had spent one season on loan at Dutch side FC Eindhoven, and that before arriving in Turopolje he had played for Šibenik. According to Gorica's official announcement, in a Šibenik shirt he played 61 official matches, scored three goals and recorded four assists. Such a biography gives him the profile of a player who was early in strong development systems and then built senior experience in leagues where adaptation to different styles of play is required. It is precisely the combination of technical schooling, experience in Croatia and the ability to play in a demanding position in midfield that makes him a logical target for clubs that want to strengthen the midfield without bringing in a player who still has to go through an adaptation period.
According to HNK Gorica's official statistics for the 2025/26 season, Pozo recorded 32 appearances, 20 of them in the starting lineup, and played 2604 minutes. The club credited him with five goals, without goals from penalty kicks, along with 11 yellow cards and no red cards. These data show that he was not only a rotation solution, but a player with major minutes and clear tactical importance. For a midfielder who is primarily described as a defensive or central midfield player, five goals represent added value, especially if one takes into account that his basic role is not finishing attacks. The high number of yellow cards at the same time suggests an aggressive style of play and frequent duels, which can be part of a useful profile in a demanding league, but also an element that any new club would have to take into account.
Gorica has both sporting and market reasons for caution in negotiations
According to its own official data, Gorica relied on Pozo throughout the entire season, and his minutes and output give the club an argument not to accept the first offer that arrives at its address. Clubs from the middle or lower part of stronger regional leagues often find themselves in a sensitive position: selling an important player can bring significant income, but at the same time it can open the problem of replacing his role in the team. If Partizan's offer really amounted to 1.5 million euros, as the media reported, it is an amount that is not negligible for a club like Gorica. Still, the rejection of the offer suggests that the club estimates that Pozo can be worth more in the current circumstances, whether because of his sporting contribution, the length of his contract, interest from other clubs or the possibility that a more favorable transfer-fee structure can be achieved through additional negotiations. In such cases, bonuses, a percentage of a future transfer and the dynamics of payment are also important, and those details are not publicly known.
Particularly important is the fact that Pozo arrived at Gorica on a two-year contract, according to the club's official announcement from July 2025. This means that, according to the available information, in the summer of 2026 the club would not have to sell the player under the pressure of an imminent contract expiry, unless the contract contains special clauses that have not been publicly announced. Such a situation usually increases the seller's negotiating position, because the buyer must convince the club that the offered amount is attractive enough to give up the player before the end of the contractual period. Gorica must also assess how much Pozo's possible departure would change the preparation plan, the choice of replacement and the balance in midfield. If other clubs are indeed interested in the player as well, as stated in media reports, the Turopolje club can wait for the market to develop instead of accepting the first concrete offer.
What Pozo would bring to Partizan
Partizan's official website lists several midfielders in the first-team squad, including Bibars Natho, Saša Zdjelar, Gajas Zahid, Milan Vukotić, Ognjen Ugrešić and other midfield players. The potential arrival of Iker Pozo in such a squad could not be viewed only as filling out the numbers, but as an attempt to add a player who combines work energy, experience in the Croatian league and the ability to contribute in both directions. Pozo played significant minutes for Gorica, and his output of five goals according to club statistics shows that he can also be useful in the attacking phase. For Partizan, which as a rule enters the season with high domestic ambitions and European expectations, depth in midfield has special value because the schedule can quickly become congested. A player who is already used to the competitive intensity in the region could fit in more easily than a reinforcement coming from a completely different football environment.
On the other hand, Partizan must assess whether Pozo would be a starting-lineup player or a quality rotation reinforcement. In the case of midfielders, that difference is not only formal, because it affects the amount of the transfer fee the club wants to pay and the terms it can offer the player. If Gorica asks for considerably more than 1.5 million euros, the Belgrade club must assess how much Pozo brings compared with other available options on the market. His advantage is that he is not an unknown quantity in regional football and that, according to Gorica's statistics, he has already had a season with major minutes. The possible risk for the buyer is that this is a player whose value has risen after one particularly good season, so the transfer decision must include detailed sporting analysis and not only a reaction to the current impression.
The regional market is increasingly following players from the HNL
Partizan's interest in a Gorica player fits into a broader trend in which clubs from neighboring leagues are monitoring players from the SuperSport HNL more and more carefully. In recent years, the Croatian championship has functioned as a market where footballers with European experience, young players in development, but also foreigners who have proven themselves in a specific competitive environment can be found. For clubs from Serbia, such players can be attractive because they are geographically close, relatively well scouted and already familiar with football in the region. Pozo fits into the category of a player who is not a domestic talent from a youth academy, but a foreigner who gained local experience through Šibenik and Gorica and showed that he can adapt to the league. That can reduce the risk of the transfer, but it does not remove the key obstacle: the price the seller considers acceptable.
Precisely because of this, the first rejection does not have to mean the end of the story. During football transfer windows, it often happens that the initial offer serves as the opening of negotiations, while the final agreement is reached only after several rounds of talks. If Partizan is indeed preparing an improved offer, as reported, it could include a higher fixed transfer fee, bonuses related to appearances or European results, as well as a percentage of a future sale. Such models are particularly common when clubs do not agree on the player's current market value. For Gorica, the deadline for making a decision could also be important, because an early departure of a key midfielder can disrupt preparations, while a late sale can make it more difficult to find a replacement.
Pozo as an example of a player whose value is built through continuity
Pozo was born on 6 August 2000 in Fuengirola, and Gorica lists him on the official profile as a 25-year-old Spanish midfielder. His development path is interesting because in his younger days he was connected with big academies, but he had to seek senior affirmation through a different, less glamorous route. After a period in the Manchester City system and a loan at Eindhoven, he spent an important part of his career in Croatia. At Šibenik he collected senior minutes and experience, and by arriving at Gorica he got an environment in which, according to official club figures, he became one of the most-used players. Such a path is often typical for footballers who do not make a quick breakthrough at the biggest clubs, but through continuity and stable minutes raise their value on the market again.
For Gorica itself, Pozo is an example of a reinforcement that very quickly gained a clear role. The club brought him in after Šibenik dropped out of the first-division focus and recognized a player who could immediately help in midfield. His season now opens the question of whether Gorica will profit through sporting continuity or financially through a transfer. Both outcomes have arguments. Keeping the player would bring stability and known quality in midfield, while a sale for an amount above the initial offer could open space for reinvestment in the team. In such decisions, clubs usually have to balance ambitions on the pitch and business sustainability.
There is no official confirmation, but the story is entering an important phase
By 25 May 2026, no official confirmation had been published by Gorica or Partizan that the transfer had been agreed, nor had it been published that the player had requested a departure. According to the available information, it is known that Gorica rejected the offer reported by Lorenzo Lepore, that the amount of 1.5 million euros is mentioned in the media and that the possibility of a new offer is expected. This means that the story is still open, but also that Pozo has already entered the circle of players around whom increased attention will be focused during the summer. If Partizan returns with improved terms, Gorica will have to decide whether the financial side of the offer is strong enough to outweigh the sporting value of keeping the midfielder. If other clubs get involved as well, the negotiations could gain additional dynamics.
For Partizan, the potential signing of Pozo would mean investing in a player who has proven himself in the SuperSport HNL and who can strengthen competition in midfield. For Gorica, a possible sale would be a test of the market value of one of the most important players of the current season. For Pozo, meanwhile, interest from Belgrade represents confirmation that his performances at Gorica have attracted attention outside the Croatian championship. Until the clubs officially make a statement or until a new confirmed offer appears, it is most precise to speak of serious interest and a rejected initial offer, not of a transfer that is close to completion. The summer transfer window has yet to show whether that story will grow into a concrete deal or whether Gorica will manage to keep the Spanish midfielder for the continuation of the season.
Sources:
- Jutarnji list – report on Partizan's alleged offer and Gorica's rejection for Iker Pozo (link)
- HNK Gorica – official profile of Iker Pozo and statistics for the 2025/26 season (link)
- HNK Gorica – official announcement about the arrival of Iker Pozo and the signing of a two-year contract (link)
- FK Partizan – official list of the first-team squad and midfield players (link)
- Dnevnik.hr / Gol.hr – report on Lorenzo Lepore's claims and the offer of 1.5 million euros (link)