Toni Fruk between Ajax and Hull: Jakirović wants the Croatian international, Rijeka refuses a quick sale
Toni Fruk is once again at the centre of the European transfer market. English outlet TEAMtalk reported on 24 July 2026 that Hull City are continuing their efforts to sign Rijeka's 25-year-old attacking midfielder, while Ajax have also established contact with the Croatian club. The same source warns that an agreement is not close to being finalised and that Rijeka expect a fee of between eight and ten million pounds for one of their most important players.
The transfer story surrounding Toni Fruk has taken on a new dimension after TEAMtalk reported that Ajax had joined Hull City in the race. According to the English media outlet, interest is not limited to those two clubs: two other Premier League teams have reportedly also enquired about the terms of a possible deal. TEAMtalk writes that all interested parties have contacted Rijeka in recent days to learn under what conditions the club would be willing to discuss a sale. As of 24 July, none of the clubs involved had officially confirmed an offer, negotiations or an agreement, so the entire case should still be viewed as a serious but unfinished transfer story.
Rijeka are not in a position where they must accept the first offer. Fruk is under contract until June 2027, and in July 2025 the club purchased Fiorentina's remaining percentage of the rights to his future transfer. According to Rijeka's official announcement, this gave the Croatian club full rights over any potential sale of their midfielder. It allows Rijeka to determine their negotiating strategy independently and retain the entire amount of any transfer fee, although the fact that the player has entered the final year of his contract simultaneously creates time pressure. Unless a contract extension is agreed, the summer of 2026 represents the final major transfer window in which Rijeka can expect to receive his full market value.
Hull's interest has clear backing from Jakirović
Hull City enter this story with a very specific motive. The club returned to the Premier League through the Championship play-offs, and the English league's official website states that they defeated Middlesbrough 1-0 in the final at Wembley. Sergej Jakirović therefore secured promotion in his first season in charge and must now prepare the team for a significantly more demanding level of competition. The Premier League begins in August, and Hull will host Manchester United in their opening match of the season, further underlining the need for timely reinforcements.
Jakirović's interest in Fruk is not merely media speculation. In an interview carried by Nogomania, the Croatian coach confirmed that Fruk was among the players Hull had placed on their list of potential signings, together with several other footballers he knows well from the Croatian league. Jakirović stressed that the final decision on every transfer must result from an agreement within the club, rather than solely from his personal wishes. Such a statement explains why the interest may be genuine while the deal remains complex: the coach can recommend a player, but the sporting department, owner, financial framework and the seller's conditions must all be aligned before a concrete offer is made.
The connection between Jakirović and Fruk began at Rijeka. When Fruk arrived from Fiorentina in July 2023, he stated on the club's official website that an important factor in his move was the coach's desire to sign him and the interest Jakirović had shown during their talks. He signed a four-year contract and quickly became one of the key figures in Rijeka's attack. Jakirović therefore knows his technical qualities, dressing-room conduct and ability to adapt to different roles between midfield and attack extremely well. For a newly promoted club, such prior knowledge of a player can reduce some of the sporting risk, but it does not remove the question of adapting to the speed, intensity and physical demands of the Premier League.
Ajax offer a different sporting path
Ajax's involvement changes the balance of power because it presents Fruk with an opportunity that differs significantly from a move to England. The Amsterdam club traditionally seek technically gifted and tactically adaptable players, and Fruk's profile as an attacking midfielder who can participate in build-up play, move into finishing positions and take set pieces fits the characteristics European clubs seek between the lines. TEAMtalk reports that Ajax have established contact with Rijeka, but the Dutch club's official channels have so far provided no confirmation of negotiations or announcement that the Croatian international is a formal transfer target.
A choice between Hull and Ajax, should it genuinely arise, would not be based solely on the size of the contract or transfer fee. Hull can offer Premier League football, cooperation with a coach who knows Fruk and a potentially important role in a team being built to remain among the English elite. Ajax can offer a different footballing context, a strong tradition of developing technically oriented players and appearances on the domestic and European stages. At the same time, competition would be greater at both clubs than at Rijeka, and first-team status cannot be taken for granted before the coach's plans and the composition of the squad are defined.
For Ajax, the price reported by the English outlet would represent a significant but not unusual investment in a player entering the best years of his career. For Hull, the same amount would have to be considered within the broader context of building a Premier League squad, where several positions need strengthening. TEAMtalk therefore writes that Fruk is only one part of Hull's wider recruitment campaign. That could slow negotiations, particularly if the English club must first determine its priorities, create room in the budget or complete other deals. In such a situation, a quicker and clearer move from Ajax could change the course of negotiations, but there is currently no confirmation that either side has submitted an offer Rijeka are prepared to accept.
Fruk's value has risen through results and international recognition
Fruk arrived at Rijeka as a player with Croatian league experience gained at Gorica, but at the Rujevica Stadium he developed into an international and one of the league's most recognisable figures. Rijeka's official website states that he made his debut for the Croatian senior national team in September 2025 in a qualifying victory over the Faroe Islands. He was called up again in March 2026 for warm-up matches ahead of the World Cup, and during the season he continued to build his status as a player capable of performing at international level. The mere fact that he became part of the national-team squad increased his visibility beyond the Croatian market.
His club statistics also explain the growing interest. In May 2026, when announcing that Fruk had been named in the preliminary national-team squad for the World Cup, Rijeka stated that he had scored 19 goals and provided three assists in all competitions that season. He particularly distinguished himself in European matches: in February, he helped Rijeka reach the Conference League round of 16 with two goals, and an official club announcement at the time stated that he had already reached five European goals for the season. Such an output demonstrates that his contribution is not limited to the domestic league.
At the end of 2025, Fruk also won the "Captains Choose" award for the best SuperSport HNL footballer of the calendar year. According to Rijeka's data, he received 96 points, as many as 32 more than second-placed Marko Livaja. The award followed a period in which he assumed a large share of the creative and goalscoring responsibility, while his ability both to create chances and finish moves became his most valuable market attribute. In a team that frequently expects both the final pass and the shot from him, he has developed a broader repertoire than that of a traditional number ten.
His versatility is particularly important in modern football. Fruk can start behind the striker, drop towards the ball to connect the lines, move inside from a wide position or appear in the penalty area as an additional finisher. In the attacking phase, he is dangerous with long-range shots and set pieces, while his vision allows him to play timely vertical passes. Creativity, vision and a goal threat are precisely the three qualities TEAMtalk highlighted when explaining why clubs from England and the Netherlands are monitoring him.
Goal against Derry City intensified interest at a sensitive moment
The latest transfer speculation emerged immediately after another important match for Fruk. Rijeka defeated Derry City 1-0 on 23 July in the first leg of the Conference League second qualifying round, and Fruk scored the only goal early in the second half. According to the club's official report, the home side dominated for most of the match, but one precise finish from the Croatian international was enough to secure an advantage ahead of the return leg. He thereby once again demonstrated his ability to decide matches in which space and the number of clear chances remain limited.
For Rijeka, the goal has a dual value. From a sporting perspective, it gave them an advantage before the return leg scheduled for 30 July in Northern Ireland. From a market perspective, it came at a time when potential buyers are enquiring about the terms of a transfer, further emphasising Fruk's importance to the team. The club must therefore balance two legitimate needs: securing the best possible deal on the market and retaining a competitive team during the European qualifiers and the beginning of the domestic league campaign.
Any sale before the return leg could directly affect Rijeka's European ambitions, while delaying negotiations could encourage interested clubs to turn to other targets. The schedule further narrows the room for a decision because Rijeka's domestic league season begins in early August. Under such circumstances, transfers are often resolved in stages: first, an indicative price is established, then personal terms are agreed with the player, while the final documentation and medical examination follow only when the selling club considers the sporting moment acceptable. There is no confirmation that the Fruk case has already reached that stage.
Rijeka have negotiating arguments, but also a decision that cannot be postponed indefinitely
TEAMtalk's valuation of eight to ten million pounds, or approximately nine to twelve million euros according to figures carried by Croatian media, shows the value Rijeka place on the player. That price has not been officially announced, but it is logical in the context of Fruk's age, international status, European performances and the fact that the club controls all rights to his future transfer. On the other hand, buyers will emphasise during negotiations that less than a year remains on his contract and that the risk for Rijeka increases as the winter transfer window approaches.
A potential agreement could therefore include more than a fixed transfer fee. Common models in European transfers include bonuses linked to the number of appearances, the club remaining in the league, qualification for European competitions or the player's future sale. It is not known whether Rijeka are discussing such a structure with any interested club, so it cannot be claimed that bonuses or percentages have been offered. Nevertheless, the distribution between the fixed and variable portions could determine whether the difference between the asking price and the offer can be bridged.
Fruk's assessment of his own development will also be important. At Hull, he would be welcomed by a coach who knows him, but also by a team whose results will primarily be measured through the fight for survival in the most demanding domestic league. At Ajax, the pressure would take a different form: the expectation of competing for the top positions, playing dominant football in a large number of domestic matches and proving himself at a club where creative midfielders are expected to maintain constant technical precision. The other interested Premier League clubs, whose names TEAMtalk has not disclosed, could offer a third option and alter the negotiating dynamics.
Until an official offer is submitted and the terms are accepted, Fruk remains a Rijeka player, under contract until the summer of 2027 and with an important role in the European qualifiers. Interest from several clubs is currently supported by media reports and statements from coaches, but the transfer has not been confirmed. The next move will depend on whether Ajax, Hull or one of the other interested clubs progresses from initial contact to an offer that satisfies Rijeka, and whether the player sees the proposed project as the right step after three years of strong development on the northern Adriatic coast.
Sources:
- TEAMtalk - report on interest from Hull, Ajax and two other Premier League clubs, as well as the estimated asking price (link)
- HNK Rijeka - official announcement concerning Fruk's arrival, his four-year contract and Sergej Jakirović's role in the 2023 transfer (link)
- HNK Rijeka - confirmation that the club purchased Fiorentina's remaining rights to the player's future transfer (link)
- Premier League - official confirmation of Hull's return to the Premier League for the 2026/27 season (link)
- Nogomania - reported statement by Sergej Jakirović identifying Fruk as one of Hull's transfer candidates (link)
- HNK Rijeka - data on 19 goals and three assists in the 2025/26 season and his international status (link)
- HNK Rijeka - official report on the victory over Derry City and Fruk's decisive goal (link)
- HNK Rijeka - announcement concerning the "Captains Choose" award for the best SuperSport HNL player of 2025 (link)
- Premier League - official schedule for the opening round of the 2026/27 season, including the match between Hull and Manchester United (link)
- HNK Rijeka - official announcement concerning Fruk's debut for the Croatian senior national team in September 2025 (link)
- AFC Ajax - official club news and announcements, where Fruk's transfer had not been confirmed as of 24 July 2026 (link)
- Index.hr - coverage of TEAMtalk's claims and the estimated transfer fee in euros (link)
- HNK Rijeka - official schedule for the return leg against Derry City and the start of the domestic season (link)