A young footballer’s patience wears thin. Franjo Ivanovic, the 21-year-old Croatian international, finds himself at the heart of a tug-of-war. Benfica, the Portuguese giants, have made him a top target, sending their transfer chief, Rui Pedro Braz, to Belgium to seal the deal. But a new rival has crashed the party: Wolverhampton Wanderers, the English club with deep pockets.
Benfica, often called the Eagles, still leads the race for Ivanovic’s signature. Yet, the young player is showing signs of restlessness. An agreement between the clubs simply hasn’t been reached yet. Local reports from Belgium this Tuesday shed more light on the situation.
“Negotiations continue today, and a deal seems close,” wrote DH Le Sports. The newspaper added that Ivanovic himself is eager for a quick resolution. He wants to join the Lisbon club. The report noted that while Ivanovic has kept up his professional training in recent days, he’s also admitted internally that he’s starting to get nervous.
Meanwhile, ‘Nieuwsblad’, another Belgian outlet, suggests that Wolverhampton is preparing a big offer. Their bid could be much higher than Benfica’s current proposal of 20 million euros, plus an extra 5 million based on performance goals. It’s a significant financial difference.
Belgian journalist Sascha Tavolieri weighed in, pointing out that Benfica’s sporting plan remains Ivanovic’s preferred choice. He had even agreed to a three-year contract with them. However, the financial power of the English club, Wolves, appears to be making him second-guess his decision. It’s a classic sports dilemma: follow the dream, or follow the money?
