The 2026 List

Looking ahead to expiring contracts to see who may want to move before the end of the summer transfer window

As the 2025 Summer transfer window starts to wind its way to a close, it’s already time to think of next year and the players who fall into two distinct categories of the region’s players as we start to put a venn diagram of recruitment together - a mix of players who could do with a move now to ensure visibility for the chance of playing at the 2026 World Cup and players whose contract is up in 2026 and could be available for a reasonable discount here and now. All contract data is taken from Transfermarkt.

To follow the template I almost always follow and go north to south…

Slovenia

Chances of reaching the World Cup - 8/1 to win group - Reliant on beating Sweden and/or Switzerland to get to the playoffs

Slovenia are reasonably unique in not having that many fringe players when it comes to the national team save for some from the U21s who are very much on the outside looking in. Barring Marcel Ratnik, who has already made a move to the Middle East this summer, the defence and GK roles are settled. In midfield, three players are after two spots in the squad, one of whom is Mark Zabukovnik. The 24yo DM is as solid as they come and has been ready for a step up from Slovenia for a little while - Celje’s success has delayed this move and he impressed in their extended Conference League campaign this term. Out of contract in 2026, he’s a prime candidate for a move upwards that would elevate him into an upgrade on Rijeka’s Dejan Petrovic in the midfield. Since starting to write this, rumours of a move to Portugal have surfaced, courtesy of a £1m release fee, but Celje are unlikely to confirm any deal this side of their Conference League playoff.

Petrovic himself is in a contract year on Rijeka but their moves this summer have cleared his path to integral game time more for this season and he’s best staying put. The other name to think about is undoubtedly Martin Pecar of Bravo. Olimpija had been told that £250k was too little for the young star but it’d be worth many clubs working out just what their selling point would be - Pecar has wonderful technique and is adding strings to his bow as a more advanced player this season already, scoring well from inside the box recently. He’s ready for a step up and may be on the verge of a Toni Fruk like season where he takes a real lift in quality, consistency and production - moving for him now may a) get the benefit of that and b) be the most likely move for a Slovenian player that could turn from a sub-£500k fee into an over £3m fee in 18 months. If Olimpija’s resolve at £250k isn’t even there any more (which managerial changes may indicate it’s not), Pecar could be a big bargain.

Looking slightly younger, Matej Malensek has started this season on fire. Radomlje have long thought that he could be a special talent but we’re only now seeing that turn from hoped for development into becoming one of the best players in the league. Beno Selan is another Bravo prospect, playing a little deeper than Pecar - he’s likely one to think of just in 2026 rather than striking now. Both could be available at the “motivated sellers” price.

Going to the forward line, while one position is locked for Sesko, the supporting cast is wide and much of a muchness with Aljosa Matko, Andres Vombergar, Zan Celar, Zan Vipotnik, Blaz Kramer and Andraz Sporar all with similar claims - Sporar spent much of last season injured and probably is due a move to get him game time while Vombergar does have his contract end this December with the caveat that he’s not likely to leave South America. Which leaves Jan Mlakar as the question - able to play centrally or on either side, when he’s fit and in form, he’s excellent and has definite claims to be on the plane, had he been that at all last season

High recommendations - Matej Malensek and Martin Pecar

Croatia

Chances of reaching the World Cup - 4/11 to win group - 3pts behind Czechia at the top but with 2 games in hand and having spanked the Czechs in June. Barring an epic choke job, they’ll be there.

Many of those looking for a move with an eye on 2026 are already on it - not least Rijeka’s Niko Jankovic, heavily linked with a move to Turkey. With Rijeka’s European Autumn confirmed, that will likely move reasonably quickly. Josip Brekalo is also linked away from Fiorentina aiming for game time but Jankovic now has far more upside and Brekalo’s international time has probably now passed. Toni Fruk will move from Rijeka soon enough and Marko Pjaca remains a free agent who has the crossing quality to deliver at any level, even if injury has sapped his physical abilities somewhat - that he’s sill available now suggests his demands will have to be reasonable.

Perhaps the most open name for clubs is Goalkeeper Karlo Letica. Letica has managed to get himself back on the fringes of the national team with his form at Lausanne and, while the massive potential people believed he had when at Hajduk hasn’t quite realised after doldrum years in Belgium, he is still a massive figure in goals and now proven as a keeper in a good league in Switzerland. The third GK place is very much open and the right move (or staying put and showing up in Europe if Lausanne beat Besiktas) may get him a plane ticket next summer.

In terms of players up in 2026 who don’t have such lofty ambitions, the central midfield market is well stocked - Marko Tolic has added consistency in Slovakia that makes his wonderful technique a bit more reliable and he deserves a shot at a higher level given this will be his last chance to get his bag. Darko Nejasmic has already got that with his time in the UAE but hasn’t been an automatic starter - for a player who hung around being one of the best HNL DMs, it seems more that he’s not a great fit than not a talent and hhe could be a low risk bet if his salary expectations haven’t gone a bit wild. Finally, Gorica’s Jurica Prsir has likely stayed put a bit too long and is in the position of being in a contract year striking while the iron is frozen but that’s not to say he’s not a good player - just that he’s one where the buzz has died down.

Further up the park, Antonio Marin is just back to full fitness after missing a year with injury. Coming back into a huffing and puffing Olimpija side won’t help his visibility but the talent isn’t in question. Niko Gajzler dropped down a level to find his level at Orijent - he’ll be a HNL level player by the end of the season, though, and has plenty of upside. At Lokomotiva, Fabijan Krivak has started the season brilliantly - at a club that tend to sort contracts reasonably late, starting the contact now will get you an attacking midfielder that is now making the breakthrough in effectiveness expected of him last term - my own season preview identified this as a huge season for him as Lokomotiva would be placing a lot of responsibility on his shoulders - so far, he’s rising to it.

High recommendations - Karlo Letica, Marko Pjaca and Fabijan Krivak

Bosnia

Chances of reaching the World Cup - 5/2 to win group - The games vs Austria will decide if it’s playoffs or group winners but they’ve likely already done enough to ensure a top 2 placing.

Well, for a start, Sinisa Sanicanin was released from Diosgyor while writing this - while outside of Bosnia reckoning at the minute, a good season would bring him back into the fold and, after all, there’s always a market for lef footed centre backs.

Looking properly at 2026 players, Dal Varesanovic is clearly the most interesting. Coming off a bit of a down season in Turkey, he seems to very much be a squad option at Rizespor. While he has the minor issue of being not quite an attacking midfielder, not quite a second striker, on his best form he’s irrepressible with great distance shooting ability. Yes, he would require tactical flexibility but would be coming in with known upside to deliver.

David Vukovic is a 2027 contract but has outgrown Borac already. He’s also not got any chance of going to the World Cup having torpedoed his chances at a national call up during 23/24. But with Borac falling at the first hurdle in Europe and with him having missed much of last season’s run due to injury, it’s another case of looking to get a player at lower than his value - Borac probably need to cash in, he probably needs a change in scenery. With Enver Kulasin already having left the club, Vukovic is almost certainly next.

At Sarajevo, Amar Beganovic arguably made the wrong call in 2022 in joining a Mura side on a rapid decline. Even so, he delivered good performances from right back in Slovenia and has continued that back in Bosnia. His 23/24 production of 11 G+A in 31 appearances from right back isn’t necessarily replicable, but he has the ability to step up a level and still make that 5 a season, which is fine production. Finally, there’s the curious case of Anes Krdzalic who has impressed in fits and starts in the past, blew his knee in pre-season last season and hasn’t been able to get back into contention in Bosnia - a fine candidate for a change in scenery if you put faith in his ligaments holding up.

High recommendations - Dal Varesanovic and David Vukovic

Serbia

Chances of reaching the World Cup - 9/1 to win group - Albania fluffing their lines vs Latvia has left the playoffs at least wide open, but England likely have the group sewn up. Also… Piksi.

In terms of the outside looking in, one has to remember that Piksi is a very unpredictable coach when it comes to call-ups. Many have already moved, such as Mirko Topic to Norwich, Petar Stanic to Ludogorets or Aleks Cirkovic to Ferencvaros.

The not moved yet club would be Milos Pantovic and Veljko Ilic of TSC, both of whom are heavily linked with a move away and any move for either would see a relatively premium price. As such, it’s sensible to focus on those just on the outside.

Slobodan Tedic is starting to hit his potential after time bouncing about on loan. His size has arguably been his hindrance in terms of expecting him to be a hold up player when he’s too technically gifted to focus just on that but he now has the experience to match the expectations. Matija Gluscevic is another one on the Radnicki Kragujevac production line, albeit I’m more a paid up member of the Mircetic fan club. Both Lazar Tufegdzic and Jovan Nisic are good midfielders with Tufegdzic coming back into his peak form gradually while Nisic has done well to come back from serious injury to be a great tempo dictator in the midfield - in his prime now, he’ll likely make it one step up in quality but not two. Branislav Knezevic was thought of extremely highly coming through but has ended up playing a little deeper than when coming through as a youth - at 23, there’s still more to get from him and even a slight move towards his formerly lofty expectations is a high level.

Dimitrije Kamenovic has spent the last three seasons as a back-up in Switzerland or Prague after moving to Lazio for good money from Cukaricki. The right move now on surely his last chance at making a go of it outside of Serbia - given Italian clubs are surprisingly OK with the concept of letting players move on for no fee but a sell-on clause, he could be a good left back option for a wider range of clubs.

High recommendations - Jovan Nisic and Branislav Knezevic

Kosovo

Chances of reaching the World Cup - 50/1 to win group - Group hasn’t started yet but in with Slovenia. More likely to be spoilers than travellers this time round.

As a reasonably new coach, the reality is that Franco Foda has a clown car full of call-ups to the national team where almost everyone with a passport has had a call-up so we’ll specifically look at just 2026 expiries in general. Arb Manaj has never quite made it outside of Kosovo but his domestic form is solid and his impressive European record this season so far suggests he may have hit a level where he can make a success of what will surely be his last chance.

Etnik Brruti has opted for Albania rather than Kosovo. Having broken through at Besa Peje at just 16, there aren’t too many 21 year olds with over 110 league appearances and he’s already one of the very best midfielders in the Kosovan league - if people were looking, he’d have gone already as he’s certainly ready for a step up and, with team-mate Drilon Hazrollaj having left for Romania earlier in 2025, he’s probably the outstanding player potential-wise in the league at this point. While, outside of the domestic scene, the likes of Altin Zeqiri and Meriton Korenica probably still sit at a nice crossover between having a low profile and good talent, it’s Brruti who is the one.

High recommendation - Etnik Brruti

Montenegro

Chances of reaching the World Cup - 25/1 to win group - In with Croatia. If they win the home game vs the Czechs, they have a chance, but it’s not likely.

From one nation where I wanted to focus on the domestic league to one where I won’t. There’s a couple of obvious choices when it comes to Montenegro who sit on the outside of Robert Prosinecki’s squad at the moment.

In defence, Slobodan Rubezic has had a difficult 12 months personally and professionally - his time at Aberdeen seems up, his loan to Novi Pazar was fine save for a disasterclass against Partizan and he’s gone from a sure starter for the national team to out of favour. The reality is somewhere in between - while he’s not great in possession, there’s always a market for a large, take-no-prisoners centre back and I’d want to see him with the opportunity to prove that his issues were more circumstance than ability.

Novica Erakovic, meanwhile, has definitely been a prisoner to circumstance - getting a serious knee injury almost as soon as he joined Omonia. As a result, his time on the pitch has been limited and it’s made him replaceable. That said, when he got up to speed last season, particularly in the last set of games, his performances were good. Henning Berg, however, seems not to fancy him and Carel Eiting seems to very much be a direct replacement. A new deal doesn’t seem likely but he is absolutely a level above having to go back to Montenegrin domestic football so is a prime candidate for a move sooner rather than later. After those, you’re looking at players with red flags.

High recommendation - Novica Erakovic

North Macedonia

Chances of reaching the World Cup - 14/1 to win group - As of now, leading their group but their chances for 2026 depend on their final group game vs Wales for second rather than trying to beat Belgium to win the group. That said, their playoff chances are likely anyway due to the Nations League.

On a chat with an Aberdeen podcast lately off air, I spoke about the rumoured link of Brera’s Martin Gjorgievski to Dundee, that Steven Pressley reportedly cancelled due to concerns about the player’s size. Pressley, who played in Scottish football in a side featured Shunsuke Nakamura who was small and not exactly rapid, should have been in a position to know that if a player is good enough, they’re big enough and Martin Gjorgievski is absolutely good enough. While there are a couple of concerns around him for me, they’re circumstantial in that, for a box-to-box midfielder, he’s allowed a lot of positional freedom currently (because he’s that much better than the players around him) and learning that will be a task for him. His physical abilities, however, were never a doubt for me given he has very good acceleration and agility - Pressley may have wondered if he could handle a kicking but the reality of Macedonian football is that the reason Gjorgievski doesn’t get one now is his other talents are good enough to dodge the cloggers. In short - Gjorgievski good, Pressley wrong (for me). In Scotland and definitely at Dundee, Gjorgievski would already be a starter.

Bojan Dimoski was loaned from Akron to Partizan last term and kicked on to become a really reliable midfield cog. If Akron are equally willing to do business this summer as last, then Dimoski would be a low risk utility get (he can play left back well also) for many a side and one who already seems to be on a steep career incline. North Macedonia are a good bet to get to the World Cup and that sort of spotlight may give a steep incline to his value also.

High recommendation - Martin Gjorgievski