Dejan Ljubičić, a 28-year-old Austrian defensive midfielder and a starter at the beginning of the season, left Dinamo to join FC Schalke 04. The Austrian international, who has 9 caps and 1 goal for his country, made 15 appearances and provided 3 assists in the SuperSport HNL this season before his move on January 27, 2026. His contract with the German club runs until June 30, 2028, and his current market value is estimated by Transfermarkt to be €3.00m. The transfer fee was reported in January 2026 to be approximately €1,000,000.