Real Zaragoza rejects St. Gallen's €2m bid for Samed Bazdar

Real Zaragoza has turned down an offer from Swiss club St. Gallen 1829 worth up to €2 million, which also 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 decision.

This is one of two offers that Lalo Arantegui confirmed receiving for the Serbian striker—who has been capped 14 times by Bosnia. The other offer, as previously reported, came from Austrian side Sturm Graz: a loan with a purchase option of €1 million. A third proposal from AIK Stockholm also exists but does not meet Zaragoza's demands.

St. Gallen's Offer Closest to Target

The Swiss club's bid is the strongest of the three and approaches the valuation set by Lalo Arantegui: recovering the club's investment in the player. Bazdar is currently finishing his vacation in Novi Pazar, his hometown in Serbia, and is scheduled to report for the team's preseason on Thursday.

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

Arantegui's Position

On July 8, Lalo Arantegui stated regarding Liso and Bazdar: "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 for Bazdar and added:

"The club paid a significant transfer fee for him two years ago (€3 million to Partizan, 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 World Cup Participation

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 half an hour against Canada in his team's debut but did not play again—neither against Switzerland, Qatar, nor in the elimination match against the United States.

Nevertheless, his participation in the world's most important tournament has increased his cachet and market value. His salary, slightly above the maximum parameters Zaragoza is using in its Primera RFEF offers, also makes his continuity unfeasible—though the striker's status and cachet are the primary obstacles.

Previous Offers

Last summer:

• Transfer offer from Russian side Rubin Kazan (€2–2.5 million) — rejected
• Loan proposals from Portugal (Arouca), Belgium (La Louviere), and Spain's Segunda División (Córdoba) — all dismissed

January transfer window:

• Loan proposals from Polish side Rakow, Portuguese side Gil Vicente, and Swedish side AIK Solna (covering salary) — no transfer offers
• Best proposal came from Jagiellonia (Białystok), where he moved at the end of January

At Jagiellonia, Bazdar played 15 matches in the Ekstraklasa (only three as a starter) and two in the Conference League, scoring three goals. A purchase option of €2 million for 80% of the rights was set but was not exercised by the Polish club.

Bazdar's Career at Zaragoza

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

Under Ramírez, he began playing out of position as the sole reference in attack. Under Gabi, he faced greater 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