Ex-Barcelona wonderkid's fall from grace continues

Cameron Smith

• 10 Jul 2023 15:58 BST
• 3 min read

Former Barcelona starlet Alen Halilovic’s fall from grace has continued with reports that Spanish second division side Eldense are set to sign him this summer.

Halilovic has been a free agent for six months after his contract at Croatian side HNK Rijeka ended on 31 January and the now 27-year-old is on the verge of joining Eldense, according to the Spanish edition of Transfermarkt.

The Croatian midfielder joined Barcelona from Dinamo Zagreb back in 2014, with the Blaugrana stumping up €5 million to acquire the services of the then 18-year-old.

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Having impressed in the youth teams at Zagreb and possessing long blonde hair, Halilovic earned comparisons to Real Madrid star and his countryman Luka Modric.

For a period, Halilovic was meant to be the next Croatian great midfielder and he looked on track to achieve this when he made his senior Dinamo Zagreb at 16 years old and earned a move to Barcelona just two years later.

He made 29 appearances for Barcelona B in his first season at Camp Nou, netting four goals and providing one assist. Halilovic also made his first-team debut in the Copa del Rey against Elche. However, that would turn out to be his only ever appearances for the Barcelona senior side.

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Life after Barcelona

Halilovic embarked on loan moves to Sporting Gijon and Hamburg before he signed a permanent deal at AC Milan after arriving on a free transfer. More loan moves followed before Birmingham City picked him up as a free agent in 2020. He joined Reading nine months later and eventually found himself at HNK Rijeka in his homeland.

Halilovic is now set to join CD Eldense, who achieved promotion to the Segunda Division from the third tier of Spanish football last season. Eldense will become Halilovic’s 12th club in senior football at the age of just 27.