Real Zaragoza Rejects €2M St. Gallen Bid for Bazdar, Retains 15% Sell-On Clause

Real Zaragoza has turned down an offer from Swiss side St. Gallen 1879 worth up to €2 million, which included retaining 15% of the rights for a future sale of Samed Bazdar. The Aragonese club received the proposal two weeks ago and delayed its response, ultimately issuing a negative reply.

This is one of two offers that Lalo Arantegui confirmed receiving for the Serbian striker—who holds 14 caps for Bosnia. The other offer, as previously reported, came from Austrian side Sturm Graz: a loan with a €1 million purchase option. A third proposal from AIK Stockholm also failed to meet Zaragoza's demands.

Best Offer Yet

The Swiss club's bid is the strongest of the three and comes closest to the valuation set by Lalo Arantegui, which aims to recover the club's initial investment in the player. Bazdar is currently finishing his vacation in Novi Pazar, his hometown in Serbia, and is scheduled to report for preseason on Thursday.

St. Gallen will compete in the second qualifying round of the Europa League. The club finished second in the Swiss Super League last season and is the oldest club in Switzerland and continental football, having been founded in 1879.

Lalo Arantegui's Position

On July 8, Arantegui addressed the situation regarding both Liso and Bazdar, stating: "It makes no sense for them to play in Primera RFEF, but we are not going to give them away." He confirmed that Zaragoza had already rejected two offers and emphasized:

"The club paid a significant transfer fee for him two years ago (€3 million to Partizan, paid in two installments of €1.5 million each in 2024 and 2025). If the sale happens, it will be because all parties are happy with the agreement. As of today, not all parties are, so he will have to join and be a player like the others."

Recent Tournament Exposure

Bazdar's season ended recently, on July 2, when Bosnia and Herzegovina was eliminated from the World Cup by the United States in the round of 16. The player featured for 30 minutes against Canada in his team's debut but did not play again—neither against Switzerland, Qatar, nor in the elimination match against the US.

Despite limited playing time, his participation in the world's most prestigious tournament has increased his cachet and market value. His salary, slightly above the maximum parameters Zaragoza is offering in Primera RFEF, also makes retaining him unfeasible—though the primary obstacle remains the striker's own status and market standing.

Previous Offers

Last summer:

• The only transfer offer came from Russian side Rubin Kazan (between €2 million and €2.5 million) and was rejected
• Loan proposals arrived from Portugal (Arouca), Belgium (La Louviere), and Spain's Segunda División (Córdoba)—all turned down

January transfer window:

• Polish side Rakow, Portuguese Gil Vicente, and Swedish AIK Solna proposed loans covering costs and salary, but no transfer
• The best offer came from Jagiellonia (Białystok), where he moved at the end of January
• He played 15 matches in the Ekstraklasa (only three as a starter) and two in the Conference League, scoring three goals
• A €2 million purchase option for 80% of the rights was set but not exercised by the Polish club

Bazdar's Record at Zaragoza

Bazdar signed a five-year contract upon arriving in summer 2024, meaning he has three years remaining. He made a strong start under coach Víctor Fernández, delivering his best performances until November, when a hamstring injury sidelined him for nearly two months.

Under Ramírez, he began playing out of position as the sole striker. Under Gabi, he faced increased ostracism—a situation that continued after failing to leave last summer and worsened under Sellés, leading to his January departure to Jagiellonia.

As a Zaragoza player, Bazdar has appeared in 40 league matches, scoring five goals.

Source: El Periódico de Aragón