Hajduk Sign Schipplock
Hajduk Split have completed their first signing under new manager Niko Kovac after confirming the loan of 24-year-old striker Sven Shipplock from German side Hoffenheim until the end of the season. This ends Kovac's worries about the lack of a quality striker in the side, after he mentioned that this was a key area that he needed to strengthen.
Kovac has barely been in the job a week, but has set about creating a side capable of challenging Dinamo for the title this season. He has very little money in terms of transfer funds to work with, so was always going to be looking towards the loan market for any new signings, and that is where this new signing has come from. Shipplock was both transfer and loan listed by Hoffenheim, and was waiting to be snapped up by a new club.
One of the earliest things Kovac did at his new club was to state his interest in signing Shipplock on loan, but the German definitivly denied any interest in joining Hajduk, especially on loan in response to Kovac's comments. However it appears a dramatic U-turn has been made in the striker's mind, as he has sealed the move with his signature.
One of the key aspects in making Shipplock want to sign for the Split club on loan is the £1.2m future fee included in the deal, meaning Hajduk will have any offer of £1.2m accepted during the loan spell. Shipplock will be hoping that his loan spell with the Croatian club will go will to hopefully lead to further permanent interest from Hajduk, or maybe other clubs around Europe, to seal a permanent move away from Hoffenheim and the Bundesliga.
In this deal, Hajduk will be paying £1.2k per week of Schipplock's wage during his loan spell, along with an £18k monthly fee. Given Hajduk's current financial situation, even paying this much money is a strain on the finances, and we can't be expecting too much more business coming into the club without some outgoing transfers first.