How Crvena zvezda approached the 2026 summer transfer window

Crvena zvezda entered the final weeks of the 2025/26 season with a transfer plan, but the club could not complete every move immediately. The May discussion centred on the full-back positions, possible departures and the availability of Ognjen Mimović and Aleksa Terzić.

The sporting department had to work in a fixed order

The first question concerned the players already at the club. Zvezda needed to know who would remain before it could define the number and profile of new full-backs. A sale could create both a vacancy and a larger budget. Without that decision, an early signing could leave the squad unbalanced.

The calendar added pressure. European qualification starts early, and a new defender needs time for medical checks, tactical work and training with his team-mates. An agreement in the first half of June would have provided a longer preparation period. A later deal could still help the team, but it would leave less time before competitive matches.

The club was also preparing for the Serbian Cup final against Vojvodina. Zvezda later won the trophy after a 2-2 draw and a 5-4 penalty shootout. That result completed the season before the transfer plan moved into its next stage.

Mimović and Terzić represented different negotiations

Ognjen Mimović was familiar to the club and could cover the right side of defence. Any return depended first on the plans of the club that controlled his contract. A loan, a purchase option and the player's role all required separate agreement. Interest alone did not mean that a transfer had been completed.

Aleksa Terzić was discussed as a possible left-back option. His situation depended more directly on Zvezda's own squad. The club had to settle the future of its current left-sided defenders before opening space for another player. That made the timing different from the Mimović case, even though both names appeared in the same transfer conversation.

Why the May plan required patience

Players who attract interest from Serbia may also wait for offers from larger leagues. The buying club must decide whether to wait, improve its proposal or move to another target. Waiting can lower a price, but it can also reduce preparation time. Zvezda therefore needed more than a list of preferred names. It needed alternative options and firm internal deadlines.

The same logic applied to sales. A strong offer could fund another position, while an uncertain negotiation could block several connected decisions. The sporting department had to separate confirmed information from market talk and avoid building the squad around money that had not arrived.

The May plan was best understood as a sequence, not as a list of completed transfers. Zvezda first finished the domestic season, then assessed departures, clarified the available budget and negotiated with clubs that held the rights to its targets. That order explains why Mimović and Terzić could be priorities without either deal being immediate.

This corrected account preserves the real point of the transfer discussion. The club had identified needs on both sides of defence, but every move depended on another decision. The important issue was squad structure and timing, not a claim that two transfers had already been agreed.